Puppet Master
by Emerald1
Summary: What happened to Tim, and where is his team? Who can he trust when he has no memories to fall back on? Can Gibbs, Tony and the rest of the team figure out what has happened in time to save him? Not a death story. Set late in Season 5.
1. Prologue

**a/n - This was written for Ursula who purchased it in the Haiti auction. I am not listing the prompt she gave me until the end of the story. The warnings that are not here are probably mroe important than any that are. Hang on, this will be a wild and bumpy ride - after all this is an Emerald story, just written more compactly (hopefully it's more compact or I'll never sleep.)**

Puppet Master

"... our only salvation lies in resurrecting the dead and burying the living."

Paul Eldridge

~Prologue~

Pain was the first sensation as awareness returned. Disembodied voices circled around him like the annoying gnats he remembered from summers on his grandparents' farm.

_Can you hear me?_

_Squeeze my hand, sir._

_Blood pressure's falling._

_Can you hear me Agent McGee?_

_Is anyone here for him? We need consent to operate._

_Agent McGee?_

_Agent McGee?_

The darkness beckoned again and he welcomed the blankness as the only way to escape the pain.

-NCIS-

"Agent McGee, can you hear me?" The choice whether to open his eyes or not was taken as blunt fingers pried one eye open and shined a bright light at it. He winced as the light stabbed a sharp pain through his skull and his eyelid was released. Relief was fleeting as the hand moved to his other eye. This time he forced his lid to stay open when it was released. He was barely successful, but he could see light and shadows through his partially open eyes.

"... wha' h...pnd?"

"Agent McGee, what is the last thing you remember?"

"...T'ny... gl'd... my f'ngers...k...brd."

He didn't see the worried looks exchanged over him as the drugs pulled him back under.

-NCIS-

The third time awareness crept in, the pain was muted, as was the light. A figure sat next to him, silhouetted in the light from the hallway. "Hello, Tim."

"Dir'ctor Sh'pard?"

"Lay still, Tim, you've been badly injured." She stroked his hair as she spoke, the soothing actions reminding him of his mother when he'd been sick as a child. It wasn't what he wanted. Where was the head slap and the orders to recover?

"G'bbs?"

The hand continued with a steady rhythm. "Do you remember how you were hurt, Tim?"

He started to panic as the memories refused to kick in. "What happ'nd, why 'm alone?"

The pressure from her hand was firmer. "What is the last thing you remember, Tim?"

"Not s're."

"Focus, Agent McGee. What is the last thing you remember?" The grip on his hair was becoming painful.

He blinked as he eyes watered, trying to force the lost memories. "I can't... wait...Tony... play'ng joke... me. Please, what happ'nd, where's my team?"

"I'm so sorry, Tim. You were the only survivor."

"I don't under... underst'nd."

"It was a trap. The bomb killed the rest of your team." She ignored the beeps and alarms of the monitors as he struggled with the knowledge.

"No, no, it can't be. Why did I live? Why me?"

"Gibbs saved you, Tim. His body covered you, protected you." The sound of footsteps converging on the small room could be heard.

"No... no..." He felt the sharp prick on his arm and welcomed the oncoming darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n - Why yes, I am evil. Thank you for noticing.**

The next time consciousness returned, McGee was relatively pain free. He was also alone. Ignoring the call button for a moment, he tried to force himself to remember. Flashes of the team in the squadroom came to him, Gibbs smirking as he tossed a bottle of acetone at McGee, Ziva flirting with him, his hands trapped on the keyboard, Tony crowing about his success at nailing the younger man. Beyond that, there was only pain and flashes of light.

"No, no, no..." He was vaguely aware of a nurse coming in, and then he heard a more familiar voice.

"Agent McGee? Tim?" Once again, Jenny Shepard was bending over him, stroking his hair back. She was dressed in all black, and her eyes were red.

Tim took a strangled breath as he struggled to find the words. "It was a bad dream, right? They're not dead, they can't all be dead." He stared at her, willing her to confirm it.

"I'm sorry, Tim. I'm so, so sorry."

He felt as if the pain and loneliness would crush him. "Where's my family? Are they here?"

"They were on their way." Jenny broke off, not looking at him.

"What..." He twisted on the bed as the pain in his head returned and intensified. "What happened to my family?"

"I'm sorry..."

"No, not my family." He closed his eyes, missing the smile that flickered across her face.

"I tried to talk your dad into waiting until the storm was over, but they were frantic to get here."

"I"m alone, there's no one left. There's nothing left for me." He rolled away from her as the tears came. "My family, my team, why couldn't I have died with them?"

Jenny leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Gibbs believed in you, he died to protect you. Now, are you going to lay here and feel sorry for yourself, or are you going to avenge them?" He rolled back to look at her.

"What?"

"Maxmilian Duplantis was the Frog's right hand man. He took control of Le Grenouille's business after he died. He took out your team because they were the best." She paused, as if unsure she should continue, but he continued to stare. "Tim, there was only one way to keep you safe."

"What?" McGee raised up on one elbow, gasping at the pain in his head even as he pushed it back. "I don't understand."

"To keep you safe, you officially died with your team." She waited until she saw the realization on his face.

"You said avenge them. You want me to go after him?" His eyes darted around as he tried to take in what she was suggesting. "Tony's the undercover guy, Gibbs and Ziva were the crack shots, I'm just the computer geek. How can I go after him?"

Instead of answering, Jenny got up and closed the door before sitting on the edge of the bed. She leaned over him, keeping her voice low. "He may have been the second in command, but Le Grenouille didn't trust him. He never had the computer passwords. Our source tells us he's trying to locate a hacker that can get him into the system. We give him you."

"What?" He blinked as she blurred in front of him. "Won't he recognize me?"

"He's arrogant, never saw a picture of you, just Gibbs. Kort's still undercover in the organization. He brings you in, you crack the system, get the information back to us and he gets you back out. Your team and your family can rest in peace." Jenny waited for his answer.

Something about it was wrong, but his head was swimming to badly to catch that stray thought. "Can I think about it tonight?"

"No!" Her voice was sharp as she turned him down. Jenny caught herself and took a deep breath before she continued. "There's no time, McGee. Kort is expected back tomorrow with the expert he's grabbed. Now, are you in?"

Tim thought about everything Gibbs had taught him, the silent approval on his face when he got it right. He thought about Tony and Ziva, their jokes and teasing and how they always had his back when it counted. And finally he thought about his family, and how they believed in him and supported him, no matter what.

"I'm in."

-NCIS-

Jenny softly closed the door behind her, not wanting to wake the injured man inside. Trent Kort was leaning against the wall, waiting for her. "Well?"

"He's in. The op starts tomorrow."

"And here I thought Gibbs was the bastard. Wouldn't want to be in your shoes when he finds out what you've done."

She smiled, McGee's car accident and amnesia couldn't have come at a better time. "In Europe we had a saying: what Gibbs didn't know, couldn't hurt us."


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n - Yep, wild ride ahead. Thanks all, I'm glad you're giving another one of my stories another chance. We'll be picking up speed soon, my favorite line so far is in this chapter. Don't worry, you'll know it when you see it. To answer a question, yes I will be writing the sequel to Tarot Twins pretty soon. I actually have the outline started for it. Today we see more of Jenny's plan. Tomorrow you'll see how she plans of getting all this past Gibbs.**

"Director Shepard, it's only been a few days. I can't stress enough that is is too soon for Agent McGee to leave the hospital. We still don't know if his head injury will resolve itself without surgery, and his internal injuries are still healing."

"I understand that, doctor, but for his safety we must move him to a secure facility. I don't have to tell you how vital it will be that no one knows he was a patient here."

An orderly arrived with a wheelchair and nodded as he passed Shepard and the doctor in the hallway, not looking the doctor in the eye. Once inside the room, Trent Kort parked the wheelchair before moving to the side of the bed. "Hey, kid, how you doing?"

"Kort?"

"Yeah, McGee. Don't worry, I'll get you out of there when it's over." The silent shrug he received did nothing to assure him that Jenny Shepard knew what she was doing. McGee's legs buckled when he stood, but Kort caught him and physically put him in the wheelchair.

The doctor gave McGee a careful look when he was wheeled out of the room, but he handed over the files in his hands as he turned back to Jenny Shepard. "His name's been purged from the electronic records and this is every hard copy in existence, including the MRI and CAT scan images. The doctor that will be treating him will need to see those right away."

"Thank you, Doctor Starr, you've been very helpful." Jenny took the files and fell into step next to the wheelchair. Once Kort and McGee were in Kort's car, she leaned through the driver's side window. "Follow me to my place. We'll get him cleaned up before you deliver him to Duplantis." Returning to her car, she tossed the files on the passenger seat, not noticing the one folded paper that slipped out and onto the floor to slide partway under the seat when she accelerated out of the parking lot.

-NCIS-

On the drive, Kort kept looking over at McGee as the younger man appeared to be shutting down. "Stay with me, kid."

"I'm not a kid." It was very close to a whine, but Kort didn't have the heart to mention that, knowing that the only way he was going to survive his next encounter with Gibbs would be if he got McGee through this alive.

He was now foster father to a Gibblet, he'd never live it down. "Close enough."

Tim rolled his head against the headrest to look at Kort. "I'm not that much younger than you, am I?"

"Some days, McGee, I'm positively ancient." He waited for a minute before asking a practical question. "How much undercover experience do you have?"

Tim's eyes were now closed and he didn't open them as he answered. "I was a waiter once. Tony is..." His voice broke. "Tony was the undercover guy. I'm just the geek."

Kort wanted to thump his head against the steering wheel. "You're not _just_ anything, kid. You can't think that way if you want to stay alive." Even as he said it, he knew that was the real problem. McGee didn't care right now if he survived the op, and that attitude could get them both killed.

Jenny pulled up next to her driveway and opened the garage door for Kort to park his car inside and out of sight. Once he was parked, she again leaned in through the open window. "I've got to get back to the agency. Get him cleaned up and ready and make sure he knows his assignment forwards and backwards."

"Is there a quiz later?"

The question almost make Kort choke, but Jenny was already walking away and didn't hear McGee's words.

"Come on, McGee, let's get you inside." Tucking a file under his arm, Kort half carried McGee in the house, easing him down in the nearest chair. Shepard had sent the staff away, so they were alone in the house. A quick recon located a guest room on the lower level with an adjoining bath and he tossed the file on the dresser. In the kitchen was a wide array of food, but Kort latched onto the bacon wrapped filet mignon waiting in the refrigerator. He didn't dare give any alcohol to McGee, but the bottle of 1957 Chateau Margaux he snagged for himself and opened to breathe. Lunch located, he returned to help McGee stretch out on the bed.

"Thanks, Kort. Was it nice? Tim stared at his hands. "The funeral, I mean, was it nice?"

"I don't know, I wasn't there." It wasn't a lie, of course, but he knew how McGee would take it.

"I suppose not. Do you know if my... if my family's been buried yet?"

Once again Kort silently cursed Jenny Shepard for her ill-planned scheme. "I have no idea, but..." Kort sat down on the edge of the bed, knowing that Gibbs would want him to do everything to get McGee through this. "Everybody you care about..."

"Is gone or thinks I'm dead."

Kort continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "...believed in you and expects you to get through this. That means you take on this job like it's the most important thing in the world. By the time we arrive at Duplantis' estate you have to have become Bradford McDonald."

"Bradford?" Tim took the folder Kort was handing him. "Who came up with Bradford McDonald?"

He was glad to see a little spark in the younger man. "We didn't have a lot of time to work on a back history. This cover was already set up, but never activated so we're using it."

"Does Bradford have a middle name?"

Kort flipped through the folder. "James. That meet your approval?" Not waiting for an answer, he tossed the file on the bed next to McGee. "Start reading, and, yes, there will be a quiz."

Tim struggled to focus on the small print that wavered in and out. Kort watched before retreating to the trunk of his car. A quick check produced a pair of reading glasses from an old cover. They wouldn't counter the real cause of McGee's vision problems, but they might help.

"Here. Maybe these will help." Kort watched for a moment before returning to the kitchen. He had to make sure McGee could keep food down before Shepard's plan could begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n - Jenny's got a cover story to tell the team, but will they believe it? How long can she juggle all the lies before something trips her up?**

Jenny Shepard was on the phone before she even had the car started. She had to erase every part of Timothy McGee's life from the reach of Gibbs and the team. A moving company with a shady past was the easy part. She had enough dirt and leverage to get McGee's apartment cleaned out within two hours. The manager of his complex was a little more difficult, but a large enough wad of cash made the man forget all the details of the sudden move.

McGee's damaged cell phone had been recovered from the wrecked car, and Jenny had the number transferred to a burn phone before using it to call his parents. They were thrilled but worried to hear that their son had been chosen for a specialized mission that would keep him out of communication for several months. It was only the gentle assurances from his Director that she would personally keep them informed that convinced them not to try and make contact with him.

The car itself, or what was left of it, was sitting in a long term evidence garage and covered with a tarp. Storage bay twenty seven was the deepest one in the building, and housed the charred remains of Anthony DiNozzo's prized Mustang, another victim of Jenny Shepard's vendetta against Le Grenouille. It was easy to roll it out of the stall and add the second vehicle. The Mustang was back in place and the door locked before the garage attendant returned from the extra coffee break the Director offered him.

Jenny Shepard prided herself in the details of her work, but she was almost to the Yard before she remembered McGee's dog. Jethro hadn't been in the accident with McGee, and his parents hadn't mentioned having the German Shepard with them, so she again started calling. The fifth kennel she tried confirmed Jethro was a guest. The sweet sounding woman on the phone was heartbroken to hear that Jethro's owner had been killed fighting terrorists, but assured Jenny that she would find a wonderful home for the newly orphaned dog.

-NCIS-

"Arrgg, when is Probie getting back from his vacation?" Tony stared at the blue screen on his monitor. "He's the only one that can do this computer stuff right."

Gibbs was counting the days too. "What did you do to the computer this time, DiNozzo?" Ziva smirked at both of them.

"Is he not scheduled to return to work tomorrow?"

"There's been a change of plans." Jenny's voice startled all of them. "He's not returning to DC. Jethro, I'll have a list of possible replacements ready for you later this afternoon." She didn't slow down as she went up the stairs.

Gibbs immediately followed her, Tony and Ziva scrambling to keep up. "What do you mean, he's not returning? Since when do you make changes to my team without telling me about it?"

I believe I just told you, Agent Gibbs." Jenny sat behind her desk and gave him a meaningful look, which Gibbs ignored.

"Why? We're the best team in the agency, why would you break us apart? McGee wouldn't have asked for a transfer without talking to me first."

"Perhaps he got tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes?"

Tony paled at the implication. McGee had been glad to leave that last day after he'd finally been released from his keyboard.

Jenny continued. "He wanted a clean break and under the circumstances I agreed. Now if you three will excuse me..." She picked up her pen and looked at them expectantly. Ziva reacted first, tugging Tony with her. Gibbs stared hard at Jenny before leaning over her desk.

"This isn't over, Director Shepard, ma'am."

-NCIS-

"Again, tell me your name."

"Brad McDonald."

"And why do you want this job?"

"I want the job because I want the money." The man in question leaned forward with an intent look on his face. "The real question is why do you want me. I'll tell you why you want me. I'm the best hacker money can buy. So, are we going to do this or what?"

Pleased with his student's progress, Kort kept pushing as he pointed at the bruised face. "Who did a number on you?"

They hadn't discussed a cover story that would explain the injuries yet, so Tim had to scramble for an answer. "Client tried to double-cross me and not pay for my services. At least I'm still walking around; the goons he sent after me, they're not doing so good."

The glare he received was worthy of Gibbs, and Kort broke character to end the session with a smile. "Not bad, kid. Why'd you shorten it from Bradford?"

The twitching muscle in his jaw was the only indicator of stress. "Only my old man calls me Bradford. My closest friends call me BJ. You're neither."

"Okay." Kort had seen fresh operatives that stayed in character because it was easier than bouncing back and forth, but he suspected McGee's reasons were more personal. Bradford McDonald didn't believe that he'd just lost everyone important to him. "Let's get you fed and then you can rest. We're expected at the estate in time for dinner"

-NCIS-

There was no music playing when Gibbs walked into the lab, and Abby was sitting at her desk, staring at the screen saver that was looping across the monitor. When she finally noticed his presence, she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. "It's not true, is it? McGee didn't leave us, did he?"

Gibbs' silence was an answer, itself, and she clung tighter. "It's a mistake, Gibbs, and you have to fix it. Promise me you'll fix it."

"I don't know if I can, Abs."

She finally let go enough to lean back for him to look at her, Rare tears were ready to spill over her lower lids as she chewed her lipstick off. "But if you can't fix it, then nobody can."

At a loss for words, Gibbs just kissed her cheek before he left, hoping that Ducky could give him some insight into what had gone wrong with his team.

Ducky wasn't all that surprised when Gibbs walked in. "Jethro, the expression on your face tells me that the rumor about Timothy leaving us is true."

"How did I miss the signs, Duck?" Gibbs sat on one of the autopsy tables and stared at his hands. "I thought I could read McGee like a book, but I didn't have a clue he was so miserable when he left for vacation."

It was a rare thing to see Gibbs second guess himself and that worried Ducky almost more than McGee's sudden departure. "When was the last time you spoke to him?"

Gibbs remembered the exact time, location and circumstances of their last talk. "Right before he left. DiNozzo had glued his fingers to his keyboard again and the acetone always does a number on his skin. I caught up with him in the parking lot and tossed him a bottle of hand lotion."

_~Flashback~_

_"Here, noticed the bottle in your desk was empty."_

_McGee juggled his backpack and his keys as he caught the bottle. "Thanks, Boss."_

_"Can't have you vacationing with rough skin. What will the snow bunnies think?" The blush on the younger man's face made Gibbs smile. "Have a good time, McGee, and don't think about the agency at all, except..."_

_As expected, the dangling comment caught McGee's attention. "Except for what?"_

_Gibbs' smile grew wider. "DiNozzo's figuring that you'll have forgotten all about the gluing by the time you get back."_

_"Yeah..." McGee had a slight smile as he began to suspect where his boss was headed. _

_"So, I expect you to have planned out some legendary payback by the time your vacation is over." Gibbs turned serious after a shared chuckle. "Be careful on the drive and have fun, McGee. You've earned it."_

_"Thanks, Boss."_

_~End Flashback~_

"How did I miss it, Ducky? How did I miss that he was so unhappy here that he'd never return?"

"I don't know, Jethro. I honestly don't know." He may not know, but the one thing that Donald Mallard did know was that Gibbs wasn't going to stop until he had an answer.


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n - Thanks for all the great comments. I'm working on chapter 8 right now. My son arrives home from college this weekend for a short visit before he leaves for basic training, so there may be a short break while he's here.**

**How well did Jenny think out her plan? Probably not very well if she thinks they'll believe McGee will leave just because of a little teasing.**

"Is he ready? She stood next to his car, still hidden in her garage. Kort's look of contempt should have stopped her cold, but she was too committed to her goal to care anymore about the repercussions.

"What exactly do you mean by ready, Madame Director? If you want to know if he's memorized his part, then yeah, he's got it down pat. If you asking if he's ready to take on Duplantis and his people, then absolutely not. You're sending him in to get himself killed and me along with him." Kort wasn't sure what kind of back room deal had given Shepard such total control of his life, but he was going to find out – if he survived the rest of the week.

For a beautiful woman, Jenny Shepard had a cold smile when she let the mask slip. "Consider it payback for your failure with Le Grenouille. If you're half as smart as you seem to think you are, you'll find just the right moment to sneak out."

"And the kid?"

She shrugged. "He's a science fiction buff. I think he'll understand sacrificing for the greater good."

"Whose good is he being sacrificed for?" He didn't get an answer, but he wasn't expecting one either as she slipped past him and into the house.

The transition had been completed and Bradford McDonald was sitting in her study, waiting for her. Stiff from his injuries and ghostly pale, he fit the part of someone that rarely saw the sun, however it was his eyes that caught her attention. Usually warm and friendly, now they were cold and dead. If one didn't know the man he had been, it wouldn't have been so noticeable. She might have felt guilty, but the prize was in her grasp. "The hair color is a nice touch."

That was the one thing she was right about. With his pallor and green eyes, right now he looked more natural sporting light red hair than his usual mousey brown. It gave credence to the Irish surname and a reason for his coloring. Jenny wasn't sure of the necessity of dressing McGee in such expensive designer clothes, but she had to admit the Hugo Boss topcoat gave him the image of someone used to the finer things in life.

"Do I meet with your approval?"

The voice was low, but not at all hesitant. If she'd had her back to him, she would have never recognized it. "I must admit I'm impressed, McGee."

Kort would never give her the satisfaction of agreeing with her, but he had been surprised by McGee. The younger man had channeled his pain and grief into the image of an anti-social hacker that only came alive sitting in front of a computer. It worked to help him keep his emotions in check and made him into someone Duplantis would be less likely to spend time interacting with. If they were lucky, he could get McGee in and out alive and cover still intact. Once the secrets hidden in the Frog's computer were safely retrieved, Shepard's control over him would be over. He didn't care what she said or thought, he was going to turn the kid over to Gibbs and then sit back and watch the fireworks.

-NCIS-

It was easy work to pick the lock on McGee's old apartment, but this time they didn't even need to do that. The door was already unlocked, so one twist of the handle and his two teammates were quickly inside. Gibbs and Abby were already there, both standing where the writing desk should be, staring out the window. Gibbs didn't acknowledge them as they prowled through the empty rooms, while Abby turned and watched their movements silently.

Ziva was the first to speak. "I do not understand, Gibbs. I was here this morning, and all of McGee's belongings were still here."

Gibbs remained quiet, but now Tony turned to stare at her. "Why were you here at McGeek's place?"

He is scheduled to return to work tomorrow, that means he would return here tonight. I put fresh food in his refrigerator, the same as he does for me when I return from out of town. We are neighbors, that is what we do."

It stung, but it did make sense. Both Ziva and McGee lived in Silver Spring. Tony nodded, "okay, so if he was expecting you to do that, why not say something?"

"Why didn't he say goodbye? Why did he leave at all?" Abby walked over to the marks on the wall left behind where the coat hooks had hung. "It doesn't make sense. Timmy would not just up and move like this. He's not spontaneous, he always has to plan everything out, and he would never leave his apartment like this. He'll never get his security deposit back."

"Perhaps a cleaning crew is scheduled for later?"

Gibbs turned away from the window. "The apartment manager would know if his keys had been turned in or not. Ziva, Abby, you two go charm some answers out of him." He waited until they were almost to the door to clarify his orders. "I don't mean terrify or threaten, Ziva." A raised eyebrow was his only answer as she closed the door behind them, leaving the two men alone in the apartment.

Tony continued to prowl the rooms, his fingers trailing along the walls, remembering every detail that had filled the now empty space. "Did I do this, Boss? Did I finally go too far and push him away?"

Gibbs felt tired and old beyond his years. "I don't know, Tony, but something about this doesn't feel right."

"Yeah, McGee's gone." Tony leaned back against the wall and slid down onto the floor. "Probie's gone."

-NCIS-

"So, this is the computer expert you brought me? Maximilian Duplantis circled around Tim, studying him closely. Duplantis was the physical opposite of McGee. Barely five foot, seven inches tall and almost that wide, his dark hair and swarthy complexion hinted at a Mediterranean heritage. His practiced eye took in not only the designer topcoat, but the Italian leather shoes, the fine wool of the trousers and the polished cotton Armani dress shirt. "Don't get out in the sun much, do you?"

"Are you going to pay me to lay out and sunbathe?"

Duplantis snorted. "No, I suppose not. I hear you ran into trouble with your last employer."

He received a cold stare in response. "The trouble was his. Pay me what you promised and we'll get along just fine."

As Kort stood impassively nearby, the two men sized each other up. Eventually, Duplantis nodded his acceptance. "Don't worry. If you're successful, you will be well rewarded. Now, my friends, let us eat and celebrate our partnership."


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n - Running a little late today. No chapter tomorrow since it's a holiday, but I'll be back Monday with chapter 7. Things are going to get complicated for not only McGee and Kort, but for our team as well. Watch the details, there may not be a quiz but they are important. I was asked about the setting. For now I am just going to say that it is late in season 5, after the Frog's body was found, as Duplantis has taken over the business. The exact timetable in regards to the episodes is a twist that comes into play at the end of the story.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful comments, they do make my day. Everyone have a great Father's Day tomorrow.**

Waiting for dinner, Tim gratefully allowed Duplantis' housekeeper to show him to his room. He held on until she closed the door behind her before collapsing gratefully onto the plush bed. The clasps on his suitcases were not fully closed, but he expected they would have been searched while he was sitting in the study with Duplantis and Kort. Absently he wondered how long Kort had needed before he had built up enough trust for Duplantis to allow him to come and go from the estate

He had been patted down when he first arrived, which had also been expected. His only worry had been what they would do with his bottle of painkillers, but after a quick check the bottle had been handed back to him. The one thing that they could have possibly found on him, they did not. The memory cards he would use to smuggle the information out were carefully hidden in the heel of his shoes, an old CIA trick that apparently still worked. The housekeeper had been quite adamant as to the start time for dinner and that gave him a little over an hour to get cleaned up and changed. The only problem was that he wasn't sure he could get back off the bed.

-NCIS-

Dismissing the rest of his staff, Duplantis and Kort retired to the covered back deck to share a brandy and conversation. Duplantis watched as Kort glanced up the stairs as they walked through the house and out the back. "You seem to trust him a great deal, my friend."

Kort shrugged as he stopped to pour two glasses. "He got me out of a bit of a jam a while back, made some possible evidence... disappear for me."

"So, you owe him."

"And I trust him." Kort handed Duplantis one of the glasses before sitting in his usual chair.

The dark eyes flickered up towards where the bedroom was that had been given to the young man they were discussing. "He looked like he was going to keel over. Are you sure he's even capable of doing the job?"

Kort was careful in how he answered the question. In truth, it would be easier if their target was worried about McGee and didn't push or ask too many questions of such an inexperienced operative. On the other hand, if Duplantis thought he couldn't handle the job, they'd be out before he had a chance to retrieve the files Shepard was obsessed with and he honestly wasn't sure what the woman was willing to do to cover her tracks. If McGee found what she was looking for then they had a bargaining chip to keep them both alive until they could get to Gibbs.

"Like he said, he was double crossed by his last employer. Unless we're planning on doing the same, he won't have to do anything more strenuous that sit at a computer. I think he can handle that. You said you wanted the best, and he's the best."

Duplantis didn't say anything as he sipped at his brandy. Finally he set the empty glass down and stood. "Fine, but his care and feeding is your responsibility, Trent."

Kort stood when Duplantis left to return inside, but fell back into his chair when he heard the door slam shut, rubbing his face. "Of courses it is."

-NCIS-

It was almost 1900 by the time Gibbs had gotten the rest of the team to leave for the night. Now that he was alone, he sat down to access Timothy McGee's personnel records. Jenny had been vague earlier in the day, only saying that McGee would not be returning to DC. After his initial shock, he realized that McGee could have been transferred to a different team or to a different agency. He was convinced that the young man was too valuable of an asset for the Director to just allow him to walk away.

When the 'access denied' screen popped up, Gibbs fell back in his chair. Letting out a sharp breath, he tried a different approach and went downstairs. Not surprisingly, Abby was still in her lab. She was able to get further, but ten minutes later she was stopped by a different screen. An image of a file with the words 'sealed, for Director's eyes only' was up on the plasma in her lab.

"I don't have the clearance to go any further, Gibbs. What is going on?"

Forcing a calm he didn't feel as his gut screamed at him, Gibbs shoved his fingers through his hair. "I'm going to find out, Abs. One way or another, I'm going to find out. Come one, I'll walk you out." With a hand on her shoulder, he guided Abby through the door, only half listening to her protests.

-NCIS-

Dinner was an elegant affair at the Duplantis Estate. Walking stiffly into the large dining room wearing a deep green silk shirt and charcoal slacks, Tim was reminded of holiday dinners at his grandparents' home. Of course at the family home it was Grandfather that carved the roast instead of a butler, and the dishes were passed family style instead of carried by men with guns. Nevertheless, he was grateful that Grandmother had insisted he learn formal table manners. Otherwise, the multiple glasses and pieces of silverware would have been daunting. He turned down the wine as it was offered, knowing that alcohol mixed with his pain killers would be a bad combinations.

If Kort had expected him to be awkward at the table, he covered his surprise well. Tim suspected that is was some sort of test as Duplantis watched carefully to see what Tim would do when each course was brought in. He wasn't hungry, wasn't even sure if he'd be able to keep down what little he ate, but he made sure to at least poke at each serving with the proper utensil. Once or twice, he noticed that Kort hesitated just long enough to follow his lead, which gave him a boost of confidence.

Various lackeys wearing shoulder holsters had brought out the wine, the oyster appetizers, the soup, and the fish course, but the head chef personally brought out the main course. A boneless leg of lamb, rolled around a filling of spinach and goat cheese was the centerpiece of the meal, rounded out with couscous and glazed baby vegetables.

As soon as introductions were made, Maria Corbin critically examined the guest that was barely touching her well planned meal. She made her decision quickly. "You're still recovering, this meal is too heavy for you." She glared at the armed men that had been serving the food. "Someone should have told me we had an invalid with us."

Tim paled even further under the sudden scrutiny. "Really, I'm here to work for Mr. Duplantis, I don't want to cause any problems. " He was talking to air as she was already back in the kitchen, scolding someone in what sounded like Italian. He wished Ziva was there with him. She'd not only be able to translate what was being said, she'd enjoy the cooking.

Luckily, his wavering attention and the flash of pain across his face at the memory were interpreted as signs of exhaustion and his injuries, and as Maria returned to to the dining room she ordered him to bed. Duplantis just laughed. "I may run my empire, but Maria runs the estate so I can't help you. You'd best do as she says."

His laughter stopped as Duplantis turned serious as he waved his hands at the elaborate table. "Welcome to my home, Mr. McDonald. You have proven yourself to be a gentleman tonight I must admit I was not expecting a computer hacker to know the difference between an oyster fork an a dessert fork."

It was now or never as Tim leaned forward slightly and rested his chin on his fingertips. "I'm not _just_ a hacker, Mr. Duplantis."

"As I see. Now, upstairs, before Maria comes back with dessert and we all face her wrath." The nervous laughter of his armed men told that Duplantis was not entirely kidding.

-NCIS-

Tim was glad he'd ducked into the adjoining bathroom when he heard footsteps outside the bedroom door. Maria Corbin did rule the household and she made no effort to knock before she barged in with a tray of invalid approved food. Making a personal note to always dress in the bathroom with the door locked, Tim wrapped a robe around him before stepping out.

"Thank you, Maria, I apologize for the extra work I'm causing you."

The sturdy woman rested her hands on her hips as she looked him over. "Nonsense, it is no trouble at all. Mr. Duplantis is correct, you are a gentleman. Much different than those hooligans I usually see here.."

"Of course he is. Would any of those hooligans have the finesse to truly work on a computer?" Kort's arrival startled them both. He swept his hand towards the still open door. "Thank you, Maria, I'll take it from here." Once she was gone he nodded approvingly as Tim casually tossed his robe onto the dresser, covering the listening device. It was enough that they could speak in low tones without being overheard, but normal conversation would still be picked up.

Kort was a quick and efficient nursemaid, and after eating enough of the custard to keep Maria happy Tim found himself tucked into the king-sized bed. Kort bent closer as he smoothed the blankets. "Remember, they'll be searching your room often over the next few days. Keep your guard up at all times."

The no-nonsense approach balanced by the hand on his shoulder reminded Tim of Gibbs and was almost his undoing. Not trusting his voice, he nodded and rolled to his side to stare out the window. He heard the door close behind Kort and was finally alone. Alone, he reminded himself, if he didn't count the guard outside his door or whoever was listening to the bug in his room. Returning his attention to the stars outside, he didn't bother to brush away the tear that rolled down his face.

-NCIS-

After an unproductive few hours trying to work on his boat, Gibbs gave up and retreated to his back deck with a glass of bourbon. It was cold and crisp as snow was expected later in the week, but tonight it was still clear. He looked up at the stars and remembered a boring all night stake-out when Tim was pointing out the different constellations and Tony was deliberately misunderstanding him. Tony's questions had gotten wilder and wilder until even Tim was laughing over them and he'd had to headslap them both to quiet the group down. "I'm sorry, McGee, I thought things were good between us. I thought you believed it, too."

He tipped his glass to the stars before swallowing the last of the amber liquid. "Stay safe, son, wherever you are."


	7. Chapter 7

**Everybody have a good weekend? My oldest son came home from college for a day, he's leaving in about an hour for Army basic training for ten weeks. Even Army musicians have to learn how to handle weapons and throw grenades. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews.**

After a restless night, Tim wasn't surprised to wake up with a headache. The pain pills for his injuries pulled double duty as he swallowed them with the lukewarm water left from the tray Maria had brought him. A discreet knock warned him before one of the young maids came in to take the tray just as he was finishing the water. Kort followed her in with a bag of first aid supplies and waited in the room. Ignoring him for the moment, Tim grabbed a blue sweater in the softest cashmere and a pair of navy slacks.

Before he reached the bathroom and the much desired hot shower Kort tossed him a package. "Here, you need to keep your incision dry. Don't bother putting a shirt on, we need to change the dressing before you go downstairs." When McGee looked like he was going to argue, Kort informed him of some facts. "Duplantis has assigned me as your personal caretaker while you're here kid, and believe me, he'll be checking."

Tim wanted to be left alone to find the files and then disappear, but he recognized a losing battle when he saw one and dropped the sweater onto the corner of the bed. "Fine."

With the CIA operative sitting on his bed waiting for him, the shower wasn't nearly as long as Tim would have liked, but it was enough to help loosen the tight muscles in his back and shoulders. Half dressed, he came out of the bathroom peeling the plastic sheet away from the bandage on his upper abdomen. Kort already had all the supplies laid out on the nightstand and was snapping on latex gloves as Tim stretched out on the bed.

Kort cursed under his breath as he peeled off the gauze to find the incision site red and weeping. "This isn't looking all that good, kid. We'd better see about getting a doctor to take a look at you."

"I'm fine. I'll just double up on the antibiotics today."

Working quickly and efficiently, Kort had the draining fluid cleaned out and the new bandaging taped into place before Tim could take a good look at the area. "I'll talk to Maria about getting a doctor out here to take a look at you."

To McGee it was just another delay. "Don't worry about it." He picked up the sweater, but Kort batted it out of his hands and finished dressing him like a child. Deciding it was a battle not worth fighting, Tim just rolled his eyes.

Breakfast was served buffet style in the sunroom. Bypassing the greasy eggs and various fried meats, Tim laid some melon slices on his plate and a small roll. He poured himself a cup of strong coffee before sitting at the table, several seats down from Duplantis. Before he could cut into his melon, Maria leaned over him and set down a bowl of oatmeal and a pitcher of light cream.

"Mr. Duplantis may not like cooked cereal, but you need something that will stick to your ribs while you're recovering." A selection of natural sweeteners appeared in front of him and Maria smiled, obviously waiting to see him eat the specially prepared meal.

With a sigh McGee drizzled honey over the hot grains before adding the cream. Under her watchful eye, he managed to down almost half of the bowl. When she chided him to eat more, it was Duplantis that stopped her.

"The boy has stitches across his midsection. Don't overfill him, he might come apart at the seam." Duplantis laughed at his own joke, his men joining in while Tim froze, not knowing if Kort had told of his injuries or if Duplantis had found out another way. Kort's slight frown, along with his forced laugh did not reassure him.

At the end of the meal Duplantis suggested that he spend the day resting, but Tim insisted that he was ready to start the job. "I appreciate your hospitality, Mr. Duplantis, and Maria and the staff have been most kind, but you are waiting to access those files and that is why I am here."

"Very well, Brad. Mr. Kort will be going into town with me today, but I will have my personal bodyguard stay with you as you work. He will make sure you have everything you need." Duplantis snapped his fingers and a large, muscular man stood from the table.

"Sir?"

"Johnny, you will watch over Mr. McDonald today in the computer room. Help him get settled in and make sure he has what he needs to be comfortable. Is that understood?"

"Of course, sir."

-NCIS-

He tried Tim's phone first, of course, but it went straight to voice mail. Having no other choice, Gibbs waited anxiously until it was a civilized hour on the west coast before calling McGee's parents. The phone rang three times before it was picked up and he heard a feminine voice on the other end.

_~Hello?~_

"Mrs. McGee? This is Jethro Gibbs in DC."

_~Tim's old boss? What can I do for you, Agent Gibbs?~_

She didn't sound angry or worried, which relieved Gibbs a little. However, she referred to him as her son's former boss, which worried him a lot. "I was hoping to talk to Tim, but things happened so quickly that I didn't get his new contact information before he left. Could you..."

_~I don't have it either, of course. The Director was very adamant that we make no attempt to talk to Timmy while he's on this assignment. I gathered that it was secret and very dangerous.~_

"Did Tim tell you anything about it?"

_~Not a word. If that lovely Director Shepard hadn't called, we wouldn't have known anything about it, but she promised to keep us informed.~_

It was all Gibbs could do not to crush the phone in his hand. "I'm sure she did. Could you give me a call when you hear from her?"

_~Of course, Agent Gibbs. I do wish he was still with your team for his assignment. He trusts you all so much, I just know he'd be safer with you backing him up.~_

Gibbs swallowed hard. "Thank you ma'am. We'll keep a watch out for him."

-NCIS-

By midday McGee had most of the encryption mapped out. There were at least three layers which meant that he would be busy for a while. His watchdog, Johnny, had become bored very quickly but didn't leave the room, much to Tim's disappointment. Instead, he had his handgun stripped down and laid out on the table as he cleaned it.

"You let him work through lunch." Maria's arrival as she banged through the doorway with a large tray made both of the men jump and Johnny scrambled to move the gun part so she could set the tray down.

Tim eyed the contents of the tray carefully. He'd missed lunch not because he was so hard at work, but because he didn't think he could keep it down. Maria caught the look on his face and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. "He's burning up, you were supposed to keep an eye on him."

"Yeah, to make sure he doesn't wander off. Kort's his nursemaid, not me."

"Mr. Kort is with Mr. Duplantis, he left you in charge until they get back."

"I'm all right, really." Tim rubbed at his eyes as he leaned back in the chair. The situation was becoming more and more surreal as his head started to pound. "It's just a headache."

It might have been more convincing if he hadn't tried to stand. Swaying, it was only the quick action of the bodyguard that kept him from falling. After that his protests were ignored as he was taken upstairs and put to bed. He vaguely heard someone call Kort and tell him to come back to the estate, but then blissful darkness arrived and Tim didn't fight it.

-NCIS-

Gibbs was waiting for Jenny when she returned from a meeting on the Hill. Ignoring Cynthia he followed her into her office and slammed the door behind them. "I'm asking you again, where's McGee?"

"And I'm telling you again, Agent McGee is no longer your concern. Did you review the candidate files I left you?"

"I don't want a new agent, I want to know what happened to McGee." He leaned against her desk, pressing forward. "He didn't leave the agency, you have him on some secret assignment."

Jenny opened one of the files on her desk in an obvious dismissal. "Agent McGee has moved on. I suggest you do the same."

Running out of options, Gibbs couldn't hold back the anger. "What kind of Director sends an agent out without his own team for back-up? You did it to DiNozzo and almost got him killed and now you're doing it to McGee and he's a whole lot less experienced."

As she spoke, the volume of her voice raised to match his. "It's on a need to know basis, Agent Gibbs and you don't need to know. You are dismissed."

He slammed his hands down on her desk. "This isn't over, Jen." He stormed out the door, knowing that if he argued much longer, he wouldn't have a job. As tempting as it was, it wouldn't help his young agent, who was obviously in some sort of trouble. It had been pure luck that DiNozzo wasn't driving his car when it blew, and Gibbs was worried that the team luck might not hold much longer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, as of this chapter, I've caught up with myself, so I probably won't be posting daily. I'm writing two stories at the same time and the other one has a deadline that's written in stone. Just a few more chapters and I'll be done with it and back on this one full time, though. (as full time as I can get on one story, I'm roughing out several more at the same time) In the meantime, this is a nice meaty chapter, so enjoy.**

A strange doctor poking at him was the next thing McGee was aware of, and Kort's loud voice calling to him. "McDonald, Brad, can you hear me?"

Hearing his cover name helped Tim pull himself together along with the pieces of his shattered memories. His friends were dead, his family was dead. He started to gasp as he was overwhelmed with pain, both physical and emotional, and the bile burned his throat.

"Roll him." An unfamiliar voice and then hands pushing him, pulling him until he was on his side. It was just in time as the first wave of sickness hit. Eventually it was over and he found himself again on his back as feminine hands wiped down his face with a damp cloth, whispering softly to him in a language he didn't understand.

It was too much. Too many strangers, too many hands, too many voices, and none the ones he truly wanted or needed. When the darkness returned he didn't fight it.

Sunrise was just peeking through the windows the next time Tim opened his eyes. An exhausted looking Trent Kort was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his head propped up on one hand.

"What... what happened?"

"Sleeping beauty awakens." It may have been a smartass answer, but Kort seemed worried as he leaned forward. "You were delirious for hours."

"I was?" His voice cracked and Kort held a glass of water for him as he sipped through the straw. Exhausted by that little effort, Tim fell back against the pillows. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he felt the needle in his arm and the tape holding it in place. Following the clear tubing up, he saw the IV that was set up next to the bed. Shocked, Tim repeated his earlier question. "What happened?"

Kort set the glass back down on the nightstand before leaning back and rubbing his face. "Take your pick. A reaction to the antibiotics, an infection that the antibiotics weren't clearing up, or the fact that you're a long way from being recovered, kid."

Tim started at the beginning. "What do you mean a reaction to the antibiotics? I've been taking them since the hospital."

"Yep, and that is apparently part of the reason you're not recovering. It didn't get really bad until you doubled up on them yesterday." Kort reached out and patted Tim's shoulder as he saw the guilt flash across the younger man's face. "Don't feel too bad, I'd have done the same thing under the circumstances. Anyway, Duplantis' private doctor came out and took care of you, and the infection is under control."

"You sat up all night with me?" Tim still had the headache and he struggled to see the clock.

Kort gave a meaningful glance at the dresser where the listening device was hidden. "Like I said, you were delirious. Figured you didn't want to be shouting out the names of former clients."

Tim immediately understood what Kort wasn't saying. If he'd called out the names of his teammates, chances were neither of them would have survived the night. "You're right, that could have been bad. My... my clients expect complete privacy. Thank you, you've been..."

"Don't mention it." If anything, Kort looked slightly embarrassed. "Really, I mean that. I do have a reputation to uphold after all."

"Of course." For the first time since this nightmare started, there was a flicker of a real smile on the young face as he faded off to sleep.

Once his charge was safely back in the land of Nod, Kort fell back in his chair and wiped his hands down his face. In truth, it had been a long terrifying night. He still wasn't sure if his cover as a cold blooded turncoat would survive being seen sitting at the young man's bedside, but he'd had no choice. When his fever spiked, McGee had been inconsolable, crying out repeatedly for his team and his family, begging them not to leave him behind. Kort spent the long hours continually wiping away the sweat and tears, using the washcloth to muffle the words when they would have become too clear and recognizable.

Kort settled more comfortably into the chair and closed his eyes. Anyone watching would have assumed he was sleeping after such a long and difficult night, but in fact he was frantically trying to come up with a plan B. Someone was bound to comment on his devotion to the computer geek he'd brought into the organization. When it came up, he needed a cover story that wouldn't cause them any additional problems. He wasn't old enough to claim the kid was his illegitimate son. Duplantis was too homophobic to risk claiming anything along those lines. A nephew, a cousin perhaps. He continued to run though possible solutions as he listened for any signs of distress from the sleeping man, or any signs of attention from the rest of the staff.

-NCIS-

Still one short, the team spent the day responding to two different cases. Neither of them were serious enough to warrant the involvement of the Major Case Team, but Gibbs was pretty sure it was Jenny's way of keeping them too busy to think about McGee. In fact, it worked in their favor, as it gave them cover to continue their search. The drunk civilian in the surplus store uniform was quickly turned over to Metro with a quiet word to keep the transfer of jurisdiction quiet for as long as possible. The bar fight between members of rival squads took a little longer, but the excuse of soothing feathers gave Ziva time to also search McGee's financials.

-NCIS-

He didn't recognize the man, but the ubiquitous black bag told McGee the doctor had arrived. The man didn't say anything as he examined Tim, but his frown spoke volumes. Kort was also silent, standing behind the man, closely watching the exam. He had seen the uneven size of McGee's pupils the previous night and wasn't surprised at the doctor's concern. When the doctor finished, he replaced the IV bag, then stepped out of the room without saying a word to either man. Kort didn't hesitate to follow him out to hear his report to Duplantis.

Maximilian Duplantis knew how important image was, which is why he looked very busy sitting behind the mahogany desk as the doctor and Kort were escorted into his study. Dr. Ballard had let his own addiction to prescription drugs destroy his career. He'd hung onto his license by the skin of his teeth, but no hospital would allow him to practice. Discretion, not a thriving practice was the over-riding concern of men like Duplantis and Ballard had built up a comfortable lifestyle knowing not to ask questions, just provide answers. Nevertheless, it was important to remind the good doctor who was in charge.

Ballard recognized the subtle reminder of power and waited patiently until Duplantis put down the papers as a signal that he now had permission to speak. "Mr. McDonald's post surgical infection is clearing up, but he needs to stay on the intravenous antibiotics for another twenty-four hours. I am more concerned with his head injury. He's showing signs of increased inter-cranial pressure. If that doesn't resolve by the time he's off the antibiotics, there will be no choice but to operate to relieve the pressure."

"I see. Very well, I assume you have instructed one of the household staff how to deal with the IV?"

"Of course, and I will return this evening to check on Mr. McDonald personally."

"See that you do. He's of no use to me dead or brain damaged. Johnny will see you out." He nodded to the bodyguard standing at the doorway.

Kort knew that he had not been dismissed and waited quietly until the door was closed behind the departing doctor. Once they were alone he sat down in one of the vacant chairs.

Duplantis leaned back in his chair, his elbows on the armrests, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers. "Tell me, Trent, why am I spending so much money to keep this hacker alive?"

"Besides the fact that he is the best hacker available to get you into the files that Le Grenouille hid from you? You tell me. That little test at dinner was for more than a one time job, Max." Kort rarely used Duplantis' first name, and only after Duplantis opened the door by speaking informally to him first. "You need someone with a great deal of computer knowledge to keep you ahead of the competition and you think he's the one for the job."

A slight tip of the head was the only real indication that Kort was right. "He has some potential, I will admit to that."

Kort pressed ahead, determined to keep the slight advantage. "He's skittish after his last employer, but what better way to earn his complete loyalty than to save his life? After all, the kid has managed to break through the firewalls of every federal agency that's ever gone after you or the Frog."

"You're convinced that he can make our organization look clean?"

"And make sure our competition takes the fall for everything." Kort set the last of the bait and held his breath.

"All right, we'll give Dr. Ballard permission to do what needs to be done, for now." Duplantis poured them each a brandy, signaling that the meeting was officially over. "Some day, old friend, you will have to tell me exactly what this young man did to earn such devotion from you."

With a sly smile, Kort saluted him with the glass. "Some day."

-NCIS-

This wasn't the first time the team had gathered at Gibbs' for pizza, but never had the reason been so serious. Gibbs and Tony listened as Ziva and Abby brought them up to speed on what they had found while the two men had given the illusion of a hard at work team.

Ziva started them off. "McGee purchased twenty-three dollars of premium gasoline at his regular gas station the morning his vacation was scheduled to start. That is the last transaction he made on his account. His automatic payment for his internet provider was processed three days ago and a resort in Vermont charged his credit card for one night after he failed to check in to his reserved room."

Tony snagged the last slice of pizza. "So, whatever happened to him could have started two weeks ago."

"He could be pretty deep undercover by now." Gibbs froze, noticing a look between his two remaining agents. "What?"

It took a minute, but finally Tony spoke up. "I don't think so, Boss. After the Jeanne fiasco, the three of us made a pact."

Gibbs wasn't sure if he liked the sound of it. "What kind of pact?"

Another exchanged glance before Ziva took over. "We would not go undercover for Jenny without telling the others. I cannot believe McGee would have broken that agreement willingly."

Abby didn't look surprised, so Gibbs was pretty sure she'd been aware of their decision. "Why didn't I know about this?"

He got a shrug from DiNozzo. "Plausible deniability Boss. You'd be the one in the line of fire if she found out."

"No more, DiNozzo. From now on, you guys tell me everything and let me worry about the fallout." The last thing he wanted was for one of his people to fall on a sword to protect him. "Understood?"

"Understood, Boss."

"Yes, Gibbs."

"Sure, Bossman."

"All right, Abby, what did you find out?"

She looked worried. "He was headed to the resort, Gibbs. About seven hours after he left the gas station, the GPS on his phone cut out. I've narrowed the location to about twenty miles from the exit he would have used. There's been no response from his phone since then, I can't even turn it on remotely. I called the phone company to see if they could get a response and they told me the number was transferred from their carrier, like three days ago. Timmy wouldn't do that, Gibbs."

Gibbs felt old and worn out. "I know, Abs."

She was getting herself worked up. "We can't let her do this to our Timmy, Gibbs. We should go to her house and make her tell us what she did to him. Ziva could make her talk. I mean, you don't trust her anymore, do you?"

That was the question, of course, and Gibbs found it remarkably easy to answer. Ever since her end run around the CIA to get Le Grenouille, Jenny Shepard had become more unpredictable and less open. He was saved from admitting anything by Ziva.

"Abby, if we are not careful, we could put McGee in even more danger. We need to find him without arousing Director Shepard's suspicions."

"We're not going to stop until we find him, right? Right?"

"That's right, Abby." Gibbs reached out and squeezed her hand. "We're going to keep looking until we find him."


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n - I'm back with a new chapter. I finished my exchange story and she loved it. I'll post it here pretty soon, 10 big, meaty chapters with a lot of humor and action, team as family bonding and a bit of Tim-whump (of course).**

Dr. Ballard returned to the estate in time to join them for dinner before checking on McGee. A quiet word to Maria and no wine was offered to the good doctor, at least Kort could keep him sober until he examined the young man.

When Ballard rejoined them in time for an after dinner brandy he had both good and bad news. "The antibiotics have done their job and the infection is well under control. We'll continue with oral antibiotics, but we can stop the intravenous drip after this last bag. However, the inter-cranial pressure does not seem to be improving as much as I'd hoped."

Duplantis stared at the doctor over the rim of his glass. "What exactly does that mean?"

"I'll give him another twenty-four hours. If we don't see some improvement by then, we'll have no choice but to surgically relieve the pressure." As Kort listened to the doctor his hand tightened around his glass. The chances of them getting out of this alive were fading by the second.

As Kort tried to come up with a way to get McGee to a hospital without blowing their covers, Ballard continued on. "Until I come back tomorrow, I want him on complete bedrest. I mean flat on his back, resting, not sitting up in bed with a computer on his lap. Then we'll make the final decision."

"You can do the procedure here?"

"With what, a Black and Decker?" He managed to keep the sarcasm in his voice if you didn't look at the white knuckle grip on the brandy glass.

"Actually, Mr. Kort, yes. Drill bits are easy to sterilize and I'll wrap the body of the drill in a plastic bag."

"Are you able to get your hands on anesthesia with that little notice?"

"A local will suffice. It's actually quite simple to do." Ballard dropped the subject and started questioning Duplantis about the latest batch of race horses that were scheduled to arrive.

Kort was barely aware of the new conversation, he was watching Ballard's hand tremble as he held his glass and imagining him taking a drill to McGee's skull. "Are there any drugs that will relieve the pressure?"

Ballard seemed surprised that the discussion was continuing, but Duplantis stopped to listen to the answer also. "Nothing that I am able to obtain. I suppose you could dump him in a tub of ice water, sometimes cold relieves the pressure, but not always. It's a simple surgical procedure, I don't know why you're worried, it's not like it's your skull."

A tight smile was all he could manage. "Just how many times have you performed this simple procedure, Dr. Ballard?"

"Myself, personally? Well, never, but as I said, it's not exactly complicated."

"What size drill bit do you plan on using on Mr. McDonald's skull?"

"Well, I suppose it depends on what's in the garage." Ballard was trying to make a joke, but it was apparent that Trent Kort did not find any humor in his attempt.

-NCIS-

Late that night Kort found himself removing the needle from McGee's arm after the last bag of antibiotics filtered into his body. The uneven pupils were still evident and a stark reminder of the danger the young man was in. "Did Dr. Ballard explain things to you?"

"Yeah. Can't risk letting him cut into me, not before the job's done." Tim was very pale but his grip was strong when he grabbed Kort's arm. "Need you to find some way to mask the symptoms. Need to get to the computers."

Mindful of the guard outside the door, Kort kept his voice low. "I am not going to let you kill yourself."

"At least not until the job's done, right?" Tim rolled over onto his side, wanting to end the conversation.

Kort leaned close to whisper in his ear. "Not at all, kid."

Down the hall, Johnny struggled to hear the few words the bug picked up, determined to figure out what kind of hold this new computer man had on his boss's right hand man.

-NCIS-

After chasing his own team out for the night, and waiting for the night shift to settle into their routine, Gibbs returned to his own desk and started reviewing every ongoing investigation that had an open file in the agency. Including the international cases, it was going to be a very long night.

Upstairs, Jenny sat at her desk and fretted. Someone was again digging into the background they'd set up for Bradford McDonald. If Kort and McGee weren't careful, they'd get killed before they got their hands on the information she needed. Jenny stared at the framed photo of her father she kept on her desk. "One way or another, Dad, I'm going to figure out what he did to you. One way or another, I'll prove you were innocent."

-NCIS-

Kort stood at the window of his room, staring out at the stars as he fought to control his anger. Silently he cursed Jenny Shepard and her twisted plans. He cursed Duplantis and his paranoia. He cursed Dr. Ballard for his weakness. He wanted to curse Gibbs for making him care, but he couldn't. And then there was McGee. His handlers at the CIA knew not to pair him up with a rookie partner, not since the ill planned op in Bosnia that left Robert Harper gut shot and dying in his arms. Happy-go-lucky Bobby, young and naive, who believed they could change the world, believed the world was worth changing.

The day they buried Bobby, the day he watched his parents weep over his grave, Trent Kort swore to himself that he wouldn't let anyone get that close to him again, that he wouldn't care like that again. He leaned against the glass, feeling the cold against his forehead. "Damn it, Gibbs, figure it out. Come save us before it's too late."

-NCIS-

Tim heard the footsteps but didn't open his eyes until the bedside lamp was turned on. Kort threw back his covers and started unbuttoning the silk pajamas McDonald favored. "Kort, what, what's going on?"

"I'm not letting you kill yourself, and I'm sure as hell not letting that addict take a power drill to your brain."

"Well, I'm not leaving, not before I do what I came to do."

"Don't think we could get out even if we wanted to, kid. I did some research, if you were in a hospital, they'd put you in a coma and drop your body temperature. Ballard hinted at an ice bath, so that's what we're going to try." Behind him Maria and two of the house maids came in with large bins of ice.

"Oh, joy."

Kort smirked but let him keep his boxers in deference to the women in the room, but refused to allow him to walk. Mentally adding a chiropractor to the list if they got out alive, he lifted Tim and carried him to the bathroom. Once he was in the tub they started adding ice to the already cold water, hoping to bring down the swelling that was putting pressure on his brain.

Tim was mortified to find himself in Kort's arms, being carried like a child, but then he was in the water. At first it wasn't too bad, but as more and more ice was added to the water it became painfully cold and he could feel himself shutting down. He was aware of fingers prying his eyelids open several times, but when the strong arms eventually lifted him out of the ice bath, awareness was gone.

It seemed short of a miracle when Kort checked McGee's pupils the third time and they were finally the same size. Just to be safe, Kort left him in the water another twenty minutes before lifting him out. Maria dried Tim as best she could while Kort was standing with him, but Kort took over as soon as he had the young man laying on the bed. His greatest concern was the tender skin over the recently healed incision, but the scar tissue had held. Maria left, but returned with a carafe of strong coffee and Kort settled in for another long night.


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n - Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. I got to watch my youngest son march in the parade with the rest of the high school band. Thank you all for your wonderful comments, you do make my day. I'm aiming for a daily update, let's see if I make it.**

Director Shepard was in the bullpen, asking questions about the various cold cases they were working when Abby called. Gibbs listened for a few short seconds. "I'll see what I can do, Abby." He closed his cell phone without waiting for an reply, usual for him, but it still caught Jenny's attention.

"Have you made enough progress on one of these cases for Abby to get involved?"

Gibbs didn't look up from the papers he had spread out on his desk. "I think she's reviewing some old ballistics. I haven't brought her a Caf-Pow this morning."

"I'll do it, Boss." Tony almost tripped over himself getting to his feet. "Gotta keep her happy, since she knows how to kill and leave no forensic evidence."

Jenny watched him leave with a slight smirk. "Don't tell me DiNozzo's afraid of little ole Abby."

"Let's just say he has a healthy respect for women who can do damage." If Jenny picked up on the double meaning in Gibbs' words, she didn't show a reaction.

"Very well, I'm still waiting for your decision about McGee's replacement."

Still staring at the pages, not trusting himself to look at her, he tapped the edge of the folder. "Still reading through the files, Director. McGee left some pretty big shoes to fill."

"He was an inexperienced agent with good computer skills. What is there that's so hard about finding another one? He's where he wants to be, Jethro, move on."

"Just like that, move on?" Gibbs tossed his pen onto the desk as he stood, Ziva frantically trying to find a way to calm him down without attracting attention. "You seem to be under the impression that I was oblivious to McGee's contribution to this team. I promise you, Director, that I was perfectly aware of how much he did. The fact that the rest of us couldn't comprehend half of what he said was a mark against us, not him. If he didn't feel that way, we should have been given the opportunity to work though the problems. Now you've got DiNozzo drowning in guilt and Abby beside herself. Either let me choose his replacement my way or just assign someone yourself since you obviously feel that you know more about my team than I do. I'm going for coffee." He didn't give her a chance to respond as he stormed out and down the stairs, not waiting for the elevator.

Gibbs didn't slow down until he was outside and most of the way to the coffee shop. There was a park bench and he dropped down onto it, shaking. He'd almost let it slip that he knew she had him undercover somewhere. Until he knew why she was keeping the operation such a secret, he couldn't tip his hand, and he sure couldn't throttle the woman, no matter how tempting it was. Forcing himself to calm down enough to punch the small buttons on the phone, he texted Tony to let him know where he was.

-NCIS-

In his rush to get to Abby's lab, Tony almost forgot the Caf-Pow, but now he was standing next to her computer, drink in hand. "The Director was hanging around the bullpen. Gibbs told her you were complaining that no one had brought you one this morning."

Abby didn't argue as she grabbed the cup and took a long drink. "Well, good, because I needed it." She continued to suck on the straw.

"Umm, that's not actually why you called him, is it?" Instead of answering his question, she held a finger up as until the cup was empty.

"Like I said, I really needed that. I found a blip."

"A blip?"

"A blip." She agreed and waited for it to register. It didn't.

"What do you mean, a blip? What kind of blip? Remember, you're talking to me, not McGee, use little words."

Instead, she smacked him in the arm. "You're smart, Tony, just in a different way. Now, look." She pulled up a screen on her computer, showing transit logs that registered when a driver went through a toll booth and the bar code of their pass was scanned instead of stopping to pay. Tony recognized the logo instantly. He didn't purchase a pass, but he knew McGee did.

"No, I'm an idiot. Why didn't I think of looking for that? So, what did you find?"

She highlighted an entry. "He left right on schedule, no big surprise there, but look at this one. It scanned enough to recognize it, but the scan was too short to charge the toll against his pass."

"He was driving too fast? McGee?"

Instead of answering right away, Abby pulled up a picture from the traffic cam at the toll booth. The picture was grainy, but it showed a flat-bed tow truck carrying a vehicle that was covered with a tarp. "Not too fast, too high up."

Tony leaned close, trying to get a better look. "Can you track it, tell where it went?"

"I did, at least I did until it turned down a street with no traffic cameras. I might be able to find something on another camera if I knew what direction to look. This is the last confirmed sighting I have." Abby pulled up another picture and Tony grinned.

"Thanks, Abs, I know where they took the car."

-NCIS-

"Maria said you didn't eat much of your breakfast." Kort grabbed the chair next to the bed and swung it around to straddle it. "Are you nauseous?"

"No, I'm just not hungry. Besides, have you ever tried to eat like this?" As ordered, Tim was laying flat on his back, his head only slightly elevated. Even while he complained about laying flat, he rolled to his side to get up.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"The doctor said I could be up for five minutes every four hours, so what do you think I'm doing?" Partway up, he stopped as the dizziness overwhelmed him and he closed his eyes to ride it out.

Kort knew where he was headed and helped him to his feet. One arm around his waist and the other hand supporting his elbow, Kort guided McGee to the bathroom. Once inside, he leaned him against the counter. "Are you all right to take it from here?"

"Yeah, thanks." Tim opened his eyes and gave a wan smile. Kort wasn't at all convinced as he stepped back, waiting for the other man to straighten up. When he was finally convinced that McGee wasn't going to fall over, he left the small room, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Don't lock it." He wasn't hovering, he told himself as he waited, but he didn't relax until McGee was finished and he was able to safely get the younger man back into bed. There was a murmured thanks and he was back asleep before his head rolled back onto the pillow. Kort quietly straightened him out and pulled the covers back up.

"You'll make a fine mother someday, my friend."

Kort carefully turned around. "Max."

Duplantis walked the rest of the way into the bedroom and stood at the foot of the bed, watching the undercover agent as he slept. "I can't help but wonder exactly what he is to you. Why not leave his care to the staff, why fight so hard to protect him?"

"I told you..."

"Yes, yes, I know." Duplantis waved his hand around. "You owe him, he saved you, but there is more. Much more that you have not said. I am beginning to feel that you don't trust me anymore. So, what is it about this boy?"

Kort remembered Fornell's joking reference to 'PapaGibbs'. "Let's just say that when it comes to saving my sorry ass, he is his father's son."

"Family is something I understand. Will his father forgive you for hiding what has happened to his son?"

_You have no idea._

"Probably not if he were still with us." Kort turned back to the bed.

Duplantis looked thoughtful. "Did he lose his father because of you?"

"Let's just say that we all have a mutual devil, and leave it at that."

"Ah, she does get around, doesn't she? Well, in that case, you were right to bring him to me."


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n - I don't have an exact time setting for this story, except that it is right before Judgement Day. Yeah, by that point in the show Jenny was pretty out of control. Interesting twist for Kort to suggest that Tim's "father" had also saved his life at some point and that he was now dead because of their mutual devil, Jenny. Great idea, but it may come back to bite him in the butt. Things are starting to heat up, so hang on for the ride.**

Tony found Gibbs still sitting on the park bench, tightly clutching a cup. "Hey, Boss, Abby may have found a lead on his car."

"What did she find?" He'd eventually gotten the coffee he had claimed to need, but it was already cold with an oily film on the top. He took a swallow, grimaced, and tossed it in the garbage. "We need to find something soon, we're running out of time."

After all the years they'd worked together, Tony knew to trust the gut, especially at times like this. "His car was brought back into town on a flatbed. The last image she found on a traffic cam was only a couple of blocks away from the auxiliary garage. Since no active cases have anything stored there..."

"It would be a perfect place to stash his car and maybe a clue where she sent him." Gibbs was already on the move. "Text Ziva, tell her to cover for us."

The drive was quick and quiet, both men lost in thought. They were in luck when they arrived, the guard today was an old friend of Gibbs and not the lackey that had been on duty when Tim's car had been brought in. All Gibbs had to do was tell him he had a man in trouble and the guard handed over the log books and the keys before taking a nice long coffee break.

Tony flipped quickly through the large book. "Nothing was logged in, Boss. Not since... not since my old car was delivered."

Gibbs noticed Tony's verbal stumble, but didn't comment on it. His senior agent was a seasoned undercover operative and Gibbs still was furious about the position he had been put in, but it was a fraction of the anger he felt about whatever she'd gotten McGee involved in. "Then we look for it the old fashioned way."

"That's a lot of storage bays. Where do we even start?"

Sometimes the younger man missed the obvious. Gibbs pointed at the thick dust on the floor. A recently opened door had left a pattern on the concrete. "How about there, DiNozzo?"

Tony gave an embarrassed grin as he found the right key on the ring. The padlock opened easily and the two men swung the heavy gate open. Just inside the gate was a vehicle, covered in a heavy tarp. Standing at the front of it, they each grabbed a corner and pulled to find the remains of Tony's burned out Mustang. Gibbs froze, staring at the once familiar car, another stark reminder of Jenny's obsessions.

While Gibbs was stationary, Tony was slowly moving down the length of his once cherished car. He'd seen pictures, but this was the first time he was face to face with the damage the bomb had done. It wasn't until he was at the rear bumper that he saw another covered car in the shadows. Almost without thinking he tugged at the tarp. Once the heavy canvas was moving, it easily slid of the twisted, mangled remains of the Porsche Boxster.

"Umm, Boss?"

"Damn it." Gibbs had not been expecting the car to be wrecked. There was extensive front end damage and it was apparent that the car had rolled, probably more than once. He pulled out his Mag-light and shined it into interior of the vehicle. Deployed airbags and blood smears told that the driver had not simply climbed out of the car and walked away.

Tony pulled a small branch out of the front grill. "She's covering up more than an undercover assignment, but why? I mean, there's no way he was in any condition to do anything but recover after this. What do we do now, Boss?"

Gibbs stood from where he'd been bent down to look inside. "We collect evidence, Tony, and hope it leads us to McGee." No further words were needed as they gathered photos, swabs and samples before carefully replacing the tarps and slipping out the door.

-NCIS-

Kort kept an impassive face while Ballard examined McGee late that afternoon. Finally, there seemed to be some improvement and Ballard appeared to be satisfied.

"I'd rather you rested a few more days, but if necessary you can return to your duties in the morning, Mr. McDonald. However, you must be careful. If you begin to experience increased dizziness, pain or any other symptoms, you must tell someone immediately."

"Sure, no problem." Ballard may not have picked up on the lie, but Kort sure did. However, he waited for the doctor to leave before calling McGee on it.

"Killing yourself won't do them any good, and I'd rather you didn't get me killed in the process." The nod he got in response was better than nothing.

-NCIS-

Tonight it was Chinese food on the menu as the team gathered back at Gibbs' house, but the pictures of what was left of McGee's car hadn't left them with much of an appetite. Abby was picking at her food while Ziva stared at the photos.

"It would appear that he was not thrown from the vehicle. That is a good sign."

Tony tossed the egg roll he'd been mangling onto his plate. "How do you figure that, Ziva?"

Instead of being offended by his sarcastic tone, she laid out several of the pictures. "He'd already stopped and chained up the tires, so obviously he was in the snow. It would not have taken long for an injured man to succumb to the elements if he were fully exposed."

Abby shook her head. "But he was hurt, Ziva. There was blood in the car."

"Hurt, yes." Trying to be positive, Ziva reached out and took Abby's hand. "If he'd been killed, then Jenny would have had no reason to hide the details from us. We must stay positive if we are to find McGee."

Gibbs had come to the realization that he couldn't put anything past the out of control Director, but he didn't argue. Instead, he concentrated on keeping them focused. "Abby, in the morning I want you to run the blood, make sure it is McGee's. Ziva, you and Tony start going through accident reports, start near where his phone's GPS cut out and spiral out from there. He sure as heck didn't drive out of there and I don't think he walked out, so let's find who got him out of there."

-NCIS-

Determined to be allowed back on the computers, Tim was up early the next morning. He wasn't moving fast, but he managed to get showered and dressed before Kort came in to check on him. Before he opened the bathroom door, he downed four extra strength aspirin and hoped the recent shower would cover up the real cause of the moisture that dotted his forehead.

With Kort hovering at his elbow, Tim made it downstairs to the breakfast table under his own power. Since Maria was already waiting for him with her required bowl of oatmeal, he didn't even pretend to be interested in any of the other fare, just grabbed a glass of apple juice as he passed the buffet table.

Now that he believed that their young hacker was also a victim of the woman that had tormented his predecessor, Duplantis was accepting of Kort's protection of McDonald. He gave Tim a long look as Tim drizzled maple syrup over his hot oatmeal "You do look better, Brad, but still, the marble statues in the foyer have more color. Dr. Ballard may be right. Let's give you another day before you return to work. After all, I am your employer, it is my right to give you the time off."

Johnny and the other men laughed at their boss's joke while Tim scrambled for an answer. "Thank you, sir, but I'm ready to work."

A flash of anger crossed Duplantis' face. "What's the rush? My hospitality's not good enough?"

Tim backtracked quickly. "You have been very generous and your staff is exemplary. I just have... unfinished business elsewhere."

There was a long silence as Duplantis seemed to study him before eventually nodding his understanding. "Very well, we will let you set your own pace, and perhaps, when you are ready, you will allow us to assist you with your unfinished business."

Breakfast resumed and Kort choked down the rest of his eggs and bacon as the operation spiraled even further out of control. Now Duplantis was ready to take on Jenny Shepard for the "death" of Bradford McDonald's "father" and he'd gotten the idea from Kort himself. That was one twist he wasn't expecting.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n - Thank you for all the wonderful comments. A little shorter chapter today, but this is where it needed to break. Speaking of break, they sure need one right about now.**

Team Gibbs had a reputation of working hard, so no one was surprised that the remaining members of the team were at their desks and hard at work almost an hour before the official start of the day. Of course none of them came close enough to see what they were actually working on. At 0900, Tony delivered a cup of coffee to Gibbs' desk. "We've checked with every department along the route Probie would have taken to the resort. There's no accident reports that could possibly be him, but we found a dispatch log for an ambulance being sent out in the right area at the right time, and a tow truck was sent a few hours later."

Gibbs felt his eyebrows climbing up, despite his best intentions. Just when he thought Jenny's reach couldn't go an further, he found himself surprised. "I want you and Ziva to check it out in person. I'll cover things here." He leaned back in his chair and waited until a few agents drifted into the bullpen, raising his voice just enough for them to hear. "The two of you drive out to Winchester and re-interview all the witnesses for the Harrington case."

Tony didn't miss a beat. "That'll take all day, Boss."

"So, you better get going, DiNozzo."

-NCIS-

Secrets hidden securely away by the government were organized, neat and methodical. Secrets hidden away by a paranoid, persecuted arms dealer with unlimited funds to purchase the best encryption money could buy were on a whole different level. By the time Maria came in and announced lunch, Tim felt like he'd only scratched the surface of the first level and that time was slipping through his fingers.

Of course having Johnny standing between him and the door didn't help his nerves. The head bodyguard seemed to trust him less and less as the days went on, while Duplantis now treated him like the returning prodigal son. Kort's embellishment of Brad McDonald's background intrigued the arms dealer in a way Tim did not yet understand. He was having more and more difficulty separating the Duplantis that had brutally murdered his friends from the Duplantis that worried about him. He downed another doubled dose of extra strength aspirin and returned to squinting at the tiny green code that was scrolling across the screen.

-NCIS-

The roads had been plowed, but the new section of guardrail just past mile marker forty-seven was a dead giveaway and Tony pulled the sedan over to the shoulder. Tony and Ziva climbed over the railing and worked their way down to the bottom of ravine where the damage was still visible. Tony held up a picture of the branch he'd pulled out of the front grill of the Porsche. The leaves and bark matched the torn up tree at the end of the tire tracks that Ziva was examining, perfectly preserved in the now frozen ground.

She stood up and nodded. "The tread patterns match McGee's car."

"Same species of tree, too." Tony froze as the wind shifted. "Do you smell that?"

Without waiting for an answer, Tony started edging towards a small clump of brush several car lengths from the apparent point of impact. Death was an odor he'd encountered many times since he'd pinned on that first badge. He'd long since stopped throwing up at the scenes of carnage, but in some ways it never got easier.

Dreading what he'd find, Tony knelt down and pushed back the shrubbery, ignoring the thorn that scraped across his knuckle. A dead deer lay on its side, its neck clearly broken. Any loss of life was tragic, but the relief he felt at that moment made him lightheaded. Behind him, Ziva looked equally relieved.

Rubbing his face, he stood. "He could have hit it and lost control, I suppose."

"No, I do not believe so." Ziva still had the stack of evidence photos and was looking at the detailed shots of the damage to the front of McGee's car. She pointed to the other side of the road, where instead of a deep ditch, the ground was much taller than the roadway. "It appears that the deer hit him." She traced her finger across the image of oval dents on the hood of the Porsche that didn't match up with any of the other damage.

Tony realized that she was right. He'd seen it before, picking up some overtime on a holiday weekend. A spooked deer had attempted to jump across a busy highway and landed on the roof of a car. Between the crushed roof and the subsequent crash, an entire family lost their lives. It appeared that McGee had been lucky, a fraction later and the deer would have crashed through the windshield or down through the roof of the convertible. Any further attempt to reconstruct the accident scene was halted by the arrival of the local sheriff.

"I'm going to have to ask you folks to move along. Your car is blocking traffic."

"Blocking traffic?" Ziva looked up at the road. They were parked at least five feet from the edge of the local highway and the patrol car was the first vehicle that had passed since they arrived.

Not wanting to get into a confrontation, Tony pulled out his badge. "Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS. What can you tell me about the accident that happened here," he paused and read the name tag on the man's shirt, "Sheriff Cranston?"

Cranston made a show out of looking around. "Don't see no accident." Tony was getting frustrated.

"Come on, man, how about some interdepartmental cooperation? You've heard of the term, right?"

"National security, you've heard of that term, right?" Cranston gave as good as he got. "You want some interdepartmental cooperation? Fine, a bigger badge than you made the decision, so just do us all a favor and walk away, son."

"Damn it, he's my best friend and he's in trouble." Tony wouldn't look away from the older man. "Please?"

Cranston pursed his lips as he stared up at the sky before looking back at Tony and pointing to the pinprick of blood on his finger. "If you decide to go get that wound checked out, don't go to Valley Community Hospital, it'll be... better... if you drive the extra few miles to the trauma center at Brattleboro Memorial."

Tony gave a weak smile. "Thanks, I'll do that. After all, we can't be too careful."

The sheriff nodded as if satisfied. "Now, you folks get that car out of here before I have to run you in. Ya' hear me?"

"Yes, sir, we hear you." Tony grabbed Ziva's elbow and dragged her back up the embankment to the car.

-NCIS-

"Gibbs." He didn't look at the caller ID when he answered the phone.

_~Agent Gibbs, this is Jacob McGee.~_

"Yes, sir, how can I help you?" Commander McGee came straight to the point.

_~My wife is a much more trusting person than I am. Tim's in trouble, isn't he? This operation he's on, it's not right.~_

"It appears that way."

_~I assume you're limited in what you can say, Gibbs.~_

Gibbs looked around, it was quiet, but Shepard was still in the building. "That would be correct."

_~What can I do?~_

"Just don't tip your hand, Jacob. I give you my word, I'm not going to stop until I find him and bring him home."

_~My boy... my boy trusts you with every fiber of his being, so I have no choice but to trust you, too. I'll wait until I hear from you.~_

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his cell phone, praying that he hadn't given Tim's parents false hope.


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n - Things are starting to heat up, but will the good Director notice the fire beneath her feet? Speaking of heat, thank you all to those who are sticking with the story during this heat wave, and a double thank you to those who are still reviewing. You guys rock and absolutely make my day.**

At the emergency department of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Tony and Ziva separated. Tony went inside to find someone in charge while Ziva went to talk to the several sets of ambulance drivers waiting around the entrance.

Tony started with a pretty woman at the admitting desk, flashing his badge before giving her the pertinent information they had gathered about the accident. She looked through the admitting records for that day. "I'm sorry, sir, there's no record of a patient being admitted that fits your description."

"There has to be. He was brought by ambulance to this hospital. Check again." Tony paced while she reviewed the information on her computer screen.

She looked up and shook her head. "An ambulance arrived, but there's no indication of what happened to the patient. I'm sorry, would you like me to check the morgue records? If your suspect was declared dead at the scene, they would have bypassed our department. Sir? Sir, are you all right?"

Tony grabbed onto the counter as he moaned. "No, no, not a suspect, my partner. The missing man is an agent."

Her fingers had been flying across the keyboard. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't realize it, but the good news is that we have no DOA's listed either. Let me call Dr. Starr. He's the Chief of Staff and if anyone knows what's going on, it would be him."

Only half listening to her explain the situation to the Chief of Staff, Tony tried to control his breathing. The situation was getting stranger and stranger and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time.

An older man in a while coat came up to Tony. "I'm Dr. Starr, Agent..."

Relieved to be getting some answers soon, Tony took the offered hand. "DiNozzo, sir, Agent DiNozzo. Can you tell me about what happened to my friend?"

Dr. Starr shook his head, hating the situation. "Not much I can tell you, I'm afraid. Your friend refused treatment and left the hospital."

"Refused treatment and left?" Even as he asked, Tony recognized the lie. Not only could he see it in the other man's eyes, the condition of the car convinced him that McGee was not capable of walking out of the hospital under his own power. He had to find a way to trip the other man up. "Left how? His car was totaled."

"I wouldn't know. Once he refused treatment he ceased to be my responsibility." Dr. Starr was uncomfortable lying about a patient, but his hands were tied and he couldn't tell the worried agent that his friend was safely recovering in another hospital.

Tony braced himself for a fight, but Ziva arrived at his side, taking his arm. "Thank you, doctor, we apologize for taking you away from your patients." With a firm grip, she tugged until she and Tony were back outside.

"Damn it, Ziva, he knows something about McGee."

"He is the Chief of Staff, Tony. Who do you think Jenny would have worked with to cover up what is going on? We cannot tip our fingers."

"Hand, Ziva, it's tip our hand." Letting his frustration out, he slammed his fists down on the roof of the car. "He's in trouble, I know he is."

"At least we have this." Ziva held out a stack of papers. "She may have covered her footprints with the hospital, but she forgot about the ambulance."

Tony didn't have the heart to tell her it was tracks and not footprints as he eagerly snatched the pages. For a man that got up and walked out of the hospital without being treated, McGee had needed a great deal of care during transport. Most of it he didn't understand, but he knew who would. "We'll need Ducky to translate most of this. You drive, it'll be quicker."

-NCIS-

A text message from Tony sent Gibbs out of the building to call him back without the danger of being overheard. It would be late before they arrived back, but he agreed that what they'd found was important.

Gibbs was convinced that Jenny must have personally handled McGee's removal from the hospital, so after he set Abby on the task of hacking into the hospital's records, he made a second phone call. "Black Lung, we need your help."

-NCIS-

After spending the rest of the day carefully tracking Jenny's schedule, Gibbs showed up at her house just twenty minutes after she'd arrived home and released her driver for the day. Standing in the doorway to her study, he waved several file folders in her direction. "Got some questions about a few of these agents."

She couldn't help but smile when she looked up at him. A well tailored suit that hugged his body well and accentuated his broad shoulders belied the rumor that the man was oblivious to what he wore and reminded her of steamy nights in Paris. "And you couldn't ask me this at work because?"

He shrugged, making his actions look casual. "You left work on time for once. Besides, I'm in the mood for B'Stella."

"From Marrakesh?"

"Working dinner, you interested?" It was her favorite dish from her favorite restaurant, so he knew it was a rhetorical question.

She smiled as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I could probably be persuaded. Am I going to get some Moroccan pastries out of the deal, too?"

Gibbs made a show out of thinking about it before turning her words back on her. "I could probably be persuaded."

In the driveway she stopped to stare at his truck. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought he'd deliberately hit every mud puddle in DC to get it to look like that. "We'll take my car." He didn't argue as she handed him the keys.

Gibbs smiled at the valet as he handed over the keys. The man had done two tours in Iraq before returning to college at Georgetown. The former squad leader gave a slight nod as he climbed into the car. If Jenny had turned around she would have seen her car being parked in the furthest corner of the lot, in an area not visible from either the restaurant or the street, but she was focused on her upcoming meal.

-NCIS-

Palmer made Abby wait until the valet gave them the all clear. Once they had the signal, the two of them climbed out of his car and started to work. While Abby checked for fingerprints, Palmer crawled under the car and took samples of dirt and oil from the undercarriage. Moving inside the vehicle, Abby continued to collect data while Palmer photographed every receipt and stub in the center console. Bent down, he noticed a folded paper under the passenger seat. He recognized the significance of the numbers listed on the page and quietly tucked it into an evidence bag before sliding it into his jacket.

Fingerprints, hair and fibers were bagged and tagged before Abby turned to the on-board GPS. It would have been easier to connect the system to the computers in her lab, but she made do with transferring the data to a laptop. Once that was done, they started wiping down the car, both inside and out, to remove any traces of fingerprint powder. The keys were returned to the valet and as they slipped away in the dark, Jenny Shepard's car was parked in the middle of the lot, the owner none the wiser.

-NCIS-

As the dishes from the main course were removed from the table, Jenny closed the files she had been looking through. "I agree with you Jethro, either one of these agents would be a good addition to your team. How soon before you make your final decision?"

He watched her closely to gauge her reaction. "I want DiNozzo to make the final decision, since he is the one that will be doing the training."

She was clearly surprised. "Oh?"

"I'm beginning to question my judgmental, Jen. I missed how unhappy McGee was with his place on the team. We lost a bright young agent with a great deal of potential because of my failure."

"Now, Jethro, you can't blame yourself for this."

He knew how he wanted to answer her. _Damn straight, I blame you for all of this._ Instead, he leaned back in the chair and accepted the strong coffee the waitress brought him. "I'm thinking I should have stayed in Mexico and maybe it's time to turn the team over to DiNozzo for good."

She didn't have an answer for him, but he could see her mentally scrambling to cover the damage she'd caused and he was hard pressed not to smile at the flash of panic in her green eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

**a/n - It's hot here - yes, I'm whining - so there's no much else to do except to sit in front of the fan and write. Aren't you glad? Just a reminder because there was some confusion, Tim lost a chunk of memory as a result of his car accident, in his injured and weakened state he's accepted Jenny version of events as the truth.**

Gibbs handed Abby a Caf-Pow to add to the line of cups she already had going that morning. She started drinking it immediately. "Thanks, Bossman, I needed that."

"Did you sleep at all?"

"I can't sleep, there's too much to do." She started circling the lab, pointing out what she had discovered. "The only fingerprints on the car were hers and yours, and some unknown ones on the gas cap, but I guess that's not a surprise. I don't see the Director as the pump your own gas kind of person. Nothing special about the dirt samples we took from the undercarriage, just a lot of salt. She needs to wash her car more often."

"So we have nothing?"

"Did I say that?" Abby moved to the computer next, pulling up the copy she'd made from the GPS records in Jenny's car. "I can positively place her at the hospital where Tim was. Well, the hospital where they claim he wasn't, but you know what I mean. She made almost a half-dozen trips there, Gibbs."

He filled in the blanks. "Which shows that she knew how badly he was injured and that he was a patient at the hospital."

"Not even Tony would go straight from being in the hospital to being undercover. How could she convince him to do it?"

"I don't know." He kissed her on the cheek. "But I'm going to find out."

-NCIS-

Sacks tugged at his collar as he waited for the red light. The one part of his job that he hated was going undercover, but when Richards broke his leg tripping over his daughter's new puppy he was the only one available. Now he was sitting in a van filled with wine bound for the Duplantis Estate. There was a rumor that Duplantis was preparing to make a move against his strongest competitor and they wanted to keep track of who came and went from the estate.

The trip there was quicker than expected and before he knew it, Sacks was driving onto the Estate. He parked where he was directed and then took the first box inside. Twelve different bottles had been sent from the wine distributor for Duplantis to choose from and while Duplantis and his cook were testing the samples, Sacks got to look around a little. Most of the players in evidence were well known in less savory circles, but one man sitting at a computer was a shock. McGee looked up and stared at him for a moment before returning his attention to the screen in front of him.

-NCIS-

It was early afternoon before Gibbs was able to slip away again and head down to autopsy. Ducky was holed up in one of the smaller storage rooms, surrounded with papers. "What do we know so far, Ducky?"

The medical examiner took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. He'd spent hours studying the hurriedly scribbled notes from the paramedics on the ambulance and the photos of the wrecked car, but what worried him the most was the page Palmer had handed him that morning. "It appears that Timothy suffered both internal injuries and a head injury in the accident."

Gibbs sat across from him. "How serious?"

"Just from the record of his blood pressure right after the accident, I'd say he was bleeding internally. That in itself would be easily corrected if he had surgery, but this is what I find the most troublesome." He handed Gibbs the page Palmer had found.

"What am I looking at, Duck?"

"Intensive care records showing the increasing inter-cranial pressure Timothy was suffering over the course of the week after the accident. It wasn't to the point of needing surgery to relieve the pressure, but he was far from well. If the pressure increases or even continues much longer at this level, the results could be deadly or worse."

"Worse? How could it be worse than being dead?"

Ducky shook his head. "That brilliant mind, damaged, Jethro? Wherever he is, if he's not getting proper medical care, that head injury is a ticking time bomb. We must find him and soon, or it may be too late."

-NCIS-

The list of wines was narrowed down to seven and Sacks unloaded the requested wines into the wine cellar before being escorted out to his van by Kort. Sacks was careful not to look at Kort as they walked. "Didn't know that NCIS was investigating Duplantis."

Kort very carefully lead the conversation a certain direction. "Does Director Shepard need to clear her personal plans with you?"

The CIA operative annoyed Sacks almost as much as DiNozzo. "No, I was just surprised to see McGee here. Didn't think he worked out in the field much, and certainly not alone."

Kort was committed enough to backing up McGee that he bristled at the comment, but he stayed on topic. "Yeah, well, revenge is a hell of a motivator. When he woke up and was told his entire team had been killed by Duplantis, he was determined to avenge them. Can't really fault him for that; Gibbs was quite the father figure to his men."

"What?" Sacks was glad to be hanging onto the door of the van as the news hit him. Kort continued on as if he hadn't heard anything.

"There's been no formal announcement of their deaths, of course, but it's too bad your boss wasn't given a chance to mourn. I understand he was quite close to Gibbs."

Sacks gave a jerky nod and climbed into the van without a sound. Kort watched until the vehicle was out the gate and onto the main road.

"That's it, go tell your boss, baby feebee. He'll figure it out, he has to."

-NCIS-

"Hey, boy." Patty Adams knelt down in front of the German Shepard. She knew that the dog was depressed, but his lack of appetite worried her. When she'd taken in her newest foster dog she'd been told very little about him, only that his owner was a federal agent that had been killed in the line of duty. Jethro had lost weight since he'd arrived and his thick and shiny coat was becoming rough and dull.

The vet she'd taken him too suggested giving him more time to adjust to his new life, but after ten years of fostering dogs, she could tell when an animal was in trouble. Maybe exposing him to things similar to his past might bring some spark back to the poor thing. Decision made, she snapped his leash onto his collar and took him out to the car. Exercise always made her feel better and it usually helped the animals in her care.

She didn't know what agency his late owner had worked for, but she did know that Jethro was a retired military dog, Marine Corps to be precise. It was too far to drive out to Quantico, but there was a park near the Navy Yard where some Marine barracks were located. With any luck they'd run into a few soldiers that might cheer the dog up.


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n - Everybody have a good weekend? BTW, yes, Jethro was a Navy dog (there's overlap in training, but we won't get into that here), but don't get ahead of me. It is a plot point. You might keep a tissue handy.**

"Abby, you need to take a break."

"What? No, Ziva, I have to keep working, I have to find something more." Even as she was arguing, Ziva was steering her through the door and into the elevator.

"You will find something after you take a break. You have been staring at the same results all day. Come, we will take a walk in the park. The fresh air will do us both good and then we will look over everything again together. Besides, by then Director Shepard will have left for her meeting with the SecNav and we can work without the threat of being overheard."

Both women quieted as they left the elevator, not wishing to be overheard. Ziva smiled at the Goth as she wedged herself into Ziva's little car for the short drive to Leutze Park. There was a park in the Yard closer to their building, but Jenny tended to take an afternoon break there and Ziva didn't trust herself or Abby with the woman.

The air was crisp and cold as they set out for a brisk walk. Abby was glad Ziva had grabbed her coat as they left the lab. "We're going to get snow tonight, I bet." Ziva nodded, thinking back to the frozen ground where she and Tony had found the accident site.

-NCIS-

Patty showed her ID at the gate before entering the Navy Yard. Her plan for a nice walk through Anacostia Park had been thwarted by the crowds she hadn't been expecting. You never knew how a new dog would react to that many young children, and besides, this got them even closer to the military setting she wanted to expose Jethro to. Already, his ears were up and forward and his tail was no longer tucked between his legs as he trotted next to her.

"Is this what you wanted, boy? Well, come on, let's have a nice walk." Picking up her pace, Patty set out through the park as Jethro began to whine and pull on his leash. "Jethro, this is a walk, not a run." Even as she said it, Patty laughed and started to jog.

Knowing that Jethro had latched onto something nearby, she let him chose the direction as she struggled to keep up. Now at a full run, the dog left the path and cut across the grass towards two women. "Jethro, heel."

The command was ignored as the canine locked onto the familiar scents. The two women turned and the taller one dropped to her knees, throwing her arms out.

"Jethro!"

The woman on the ground laughed and cried as she hugged the excited dog, while her companion was much more suspicious. "Who are you and how did you get McGee's dog?"

"You knew his owner?" Patty didn't pick up on the hostility. "I'm so glad we ran into you. Jethro's been so depressed since his owner was killed, I was really starting to get worried about him."

"Killed? McGee is dead?" Ziva stared at the stranger while behind her, Abby began to sob. "No, that is not possible. He is away on an assignment, but he cannot be dead."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was a secret."

Ziva wanted to drop down next to Abby and bury her face in the thick fur, too, but she was determined to keep her focus. "How did you get Jethro? What happened? You will tell me what you know."

Unfortunately, Patty didn't know a great deal. "I foster dogs for an adoption agency. All I know is that his owner was a federal agent and Jethro was turned over to them after he was killed in the line of duty."

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs." Abby could do no more than sob his name over the phone, so Ziva took the cell phone from her, but she wasn't much better. She managed to choke out their location. "McGee... we are too late, Gibbs. We are too late."

-NCIS-

Gibbs didn't remember ending the call or grabbing his coat, but he and Tony were on their way to the park within seconds. Tony kept asking what was wrong, what had happened, but he just shook his head as he drove. They parked next to Ziva's car and found the three women easily.

Tony's eyes grew large as he listened to Patty tell her story again, this time to Gibbs. "All this time, he was already dead? Why would she lie, why cover it up? My God, his parents haven't even been told."

"I don't know." Gibbs rubbed at the sides of his face as he turned back to Patty. "The dog..."

"I'll have him taken off the adoption list until his family makes a decision." She pulled a card out of her purse. "I work at home, you can reach me at that number or just come by to visit Jethro."

Gibbs nodded as he took the card while Tony shook her hand "Thank you, if you hadn't been in the park today..."

"I drove all the way out here because Jethro was a Marine Corps dog, but I never dreamed... It almost makes you believe in miracles, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Tony reached down and scratched Jethro's ears. "Especially since he actually was a Navy dog." Jethro barked as if to agree Tony couldn't help but smile as he watched Jethro with Abby. "One miracle is great, but we sure could have used two of them."

-NCIS-

It was after 2200 when Fornell called it a night. "All right, Sacks, we'll pick this up again in the morning, decide what to do with the Duplantis case." Fornell leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his eyes, hoping the other man would take the hint. Sacks stood and picked up his coat.

"I'm sorry, Tobias, he was a good man." When Fornell nodded without looking at him he left, quietly closing the shades and door to give the grieving man the illusion of privacy.

"Jethro, what went wrong? How did you and your team get yourselves killed? Why is McGee out there alone now?" Becoming agitated, he stood and kicked at his chair. "Damn it, why didn't Shepard tell me?"

Throwing some files in his briefcase, Tobias stormed out the door, the glass shaking as the slammed the door behind him. "Tomorrow, Jenny Shepard, you'd better have some answers for me, because I'm not walking away from this one."

-NCIS-

Jethro Gibbs sat alone in his basement, staring at the jar in his hand. Another death on his conscience, another picture up on the wall of fallen agents. He had no idea why Jenny was hiding Tim's death, but he'd fight her on that one. McGee deserved the recognition.

Setting the jar of bourbon down on the workbench, Gibbs circled around the half finished boat. He'd built one for Kate. Quick and nimble, the skiff built in her honor was a popular boat now owned by the Sea Scouts. He knew she'd wanted children some day and he hoped that somewhere she was smiling at the thought of dozens of young people learning to sail aboard her namesake.

The Paula was now being built. The cat boat was simple and practical, yet beautiful, like the woman herself. The fact that his people were dying faster than he could build their memorials was a bitter pill to swallow.

He smiled softly to himself as he thought about how McGee would feel about a boat. He could hear the young man trying so hard not to whine as he reminded his boss that he got seasick even tied up at the dock. A desk, perhaps? A fine writing desk, hand built of walnut, inlaid with ebony. His sister would appreciate the reminder of her brother's passion for the written word.

The thought made Gibbs falter. Tim's family, his parents waiting patiently at home, his sister spending the term in London. It would be up to Gibbs to tell them the truth. No point in disturbing their sleep tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough to shatter their world. He knew their pain, knew that nothing would lessen it. This wasn't the way he wanted to bring their son home, but he would. He would find Tim's remains and find who had killed their son. When he was done with that, he would turn his attention to the woman who had sent him out to die.

Gibbs returned to the bench and picked up the jar again, lifting it towards the small window in the upper wall. "Godspeed, son, you made me proud."

-NCIS-

After an hour of driving aimlessly, Fornell had to shake his head when he found himself pulling into Gibbs' driveway Gibbs had been the one friend that never judged, that always came through no matter the risk, the one person he turned to when the situation seemed hopeless. Where else would he go, even if the house was now forever quiet?

The door was unlocked, of course, and Fornell didn't bother to turn on any more lights. Gibbs always left the hall light on, a signal to welcome any of his team. He wandered into the living room to look at the photos propped up on the mantle. Not blood, but definitely family, the MCRT of NCIS had been a close and dedicated group. They fought like cats and dogs at times, but each of them knew they had the others silent support. Whatever had gone wrong, Tobias knew one thing: Gibbs had gone down fighting to protect his team. He owed the man and would finish the job for him, but first he needed to drink a toast to his friend and there was only one place to do that. Tucking the photos in his coat pocket, Fornell turned towards the basement stairs.

-NCIS-

It was a somber group sitting around the table, staring into their drinks. Tony finally took a deep breath and raised his glass "To Probie."

"To McGee."

"To Timmy."

"To Timothy."

"To McGee." Palmer was the last one and looked around for Gibbs. "Where is Agent Gibbs?"

Ducky gave a sad smile and shook his head. "Jethro will mourn this loss in private, even more so than most. At least until we know the circumstances of poor Timothy's death and have brought him home to his family."

"And have found his killer." Ziva's tone gave little doubt as to her plans along that front.

Abby wiped away a tear, only to have it replaced by another. "Do you think Gibbs had confronted Director Shepard yet?"

Tony made a show out of looking out the window. In the distance he could see the outline of the Navy Yard. "Nah, the building's still standing."

-NCIS-

Fornell had always considered the basement to be the heart of Gibbs' home. The man's presence there was almost a physical entity as the familiar sawdust tickled his nose. His belief was so strong that it took several seconds to realize that he should not be seeing Gibbs standing at his workbench.

"What the hell?" Instead of disappearing, the apparition turned at the sound of his voice.

"Fornell."

The FBI agent was vaguely aware of the pain when his backside hit one of the steps. "You're not dead?"

Gibbs movements spoke of a deep exhaustion as he turned to face Fornell. "What are you talking about? I'm not dead, McGee is."

"What? When? Please tell me that Sacks didn't blow his cover."

If he'd heard the last question, Gibbs didn't react to it as he poured a second drink and joined Fornell on the steps. "Sometime last week, but we found out this afternoon."

Math may not have been Fornell's strongest subject, but he knew things weren't adding up. "That's not possible, Jethro. Sacks saw him this afternoon and he was alive."

"What?" Gibbs stared at the other man as Fornell continued to explain.

"He's alive, but he thinks all of you are dead. Damn it, he's undercover to take down Maximilian Duplantis to avenge your death. What in the hell is going on, Gibbs?"

Gibbs was suddenly animated as he reached for his phone. "I don't know, but I need Sacks here, now." He turned his attention to the person on the other end of the call. "DiNozzo, get everybody and get them here now. You... you got your second miracle"

Fornell didn't know what exactly that meant, but the whoop on the other end of the phone told him that DiNozzo knew.


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n - Glad you guys liked the last chapter. It was an emotional one. This one is more of a transitional chapter as Gibbs and crew need to bring Fornell, Sacks and a special guest up to speed and we need to catch our breath. When I'm writing action/raid scenes, I like to work several chapters at a time, so you may not get daily chapter. In the meantime, if you need something else to read, are you reading Shelliewilliams wonderful stories? _A Brother's Heart _she wrote for me, so of course I loved it, and her new one, _Stay in the Moment_, is one of her best yet. Tell her Emerald says hi.**

Gibbs let the excited chatter go on for several minutes while his call to the Assistant Director out in San Diego went through. Once he had Leon Vance on a speaker phone Gibbs used a sharp whistle to quiet down the group and he turned the floor over to Ron Sacks. If Sacks thought it odd to be holding an inter-agency, inter-state briefing in Gibbs' basement, he didn't show it as he explained step by step what he had seen and done at the Duplantis estate that day. Tony was the one to catch the anomaly.

"Wait a minute, go back. Word for word, what exactly did Kort say to you?"

Sacks pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought carefully and spoke slowly. "He said, 'revenge is a hell of a motivator, that when McGee woke up and was told his entire team had been killed by Duplantis, he... he was determined to avenge them.' Then Kort said that he couldn't really fault McGee for that because Gibbs was a real father figure to his men, and..." Sacks looked over at Fornell with a shocked expression.

"What is it?"

"When I first asked about NCIS being involved, he asked me if Director Shepard had to clear her personal plans with me. Not an op, her personal plans. Why would he..."

Gibbs dropped his head as he shook it and gave a soft laugh. "Never thought I'd say it, but God Bless Trent Kort. He told you everything we needed to know, knowing that you would report to Fornell."

_~It would appear you're correct, Agent Gibbs. Damn, I hate for our agency to owe the man.~_

"So, if this is a personal vendetta, what is Duplantis' connection to Jenny?"

Fornell took over to not only answer Ziva's question, but to read the NCIS team in on the FBI's surveillance of Duplantis. "He was one of the Frog's lieutenants and after after the Frog was found dead, there was a short and brutal power struggle within the organization. When the dust settled, he ended up in control . The man is brilliant but ruthless. Duplantis is planning on expanding by somehow eliminating all the competition. What I don't understand is how she tricked McGee into believing you guys are dead." Vance's voice came over the speaker phone again.

_~I'd like to know that, too, before I bring the SecNav in on all this.~_

One by one, the photos of McGee's car were laid out on the workbench while Gibbs quickly explained to Vance what was shown in the pictures. Tony had been planning to stare at them and get drunk, now the images had a more important purpose. He started to explain the timetable they had put together. "He left on vacation about a week and a half ago. It looks like he never made it to his destination."

Fornell picked up one of the pictures and whistled. "Lot of damage, was he ambushed?

"Only if Bambi went rogue."

Ziva rolled her eyes at her partner and pointed out the oval marks she had noticed earlier. "We found the location where the accident happened and believe a deer impacted with his car. The remains of the animal were under a bush near the tire tracks from his car."

"Let me guess, local LEO's found his badge and made a courtesy call to the agency and it went to the Director instead of his team leader."

"Looks that way, Tobias."

Tony picked up the narrative again, backtracking slightly. "We didn't know any of that had happened, but we tracked down his car and got a hit off his toll booth pass. From there, we found an image of a tow truck with a car covered in a tarp. Eventually, Gibbs and I found the car hidden in an evidence garage that's used for long term storage. That's when we tracked down the accident scene and the local sheriff told us to move along, that it was a matter of national security."

"Only someone with enough clout could pull off that claim without raising a red flag."

DiNozzo agreed with Fornell. "The sheriff said a bigger badge had told him that."

"Someone like the Director of a national agency." Ducky handed Fornell copies of the ambulance log. "The hospital may claim that he refused treatment and just walked away, but I assure you, not with the injuries listed in the ambulance records." Ducky nodded encouragingly to his assistant and Palmer took over.

"We managed to get inside her car and found one page of his medical file from the hospital."

_~So he **was** treated at the hospital.~_

Palmer leaned closer to the speaker phone. "Umm, yes, sir. More than that, he was an inpatient and being monitored closely for a severe head injury."

Ducky broke in. "The injury had apparently not resolved when she removed him from the hospital and put him undercover."

_~It appears that Agent McGee was probably very weak and confused and she used that to her advantage. Can we positively place her anywhere near McGee?~_

"We can prove that her car made" Gibbs glanced over at Abby for confirmation and she signed him the information as he repeated it for Vance's sake. "A total of six round trips to the hospital he was at, with the first one only hours after his accident."

_~It's a good think you people found enough evidence to back up what you're accusing your Director of, otherwise you might be facing charges of treason. All right, I'll brief the SecNav, you people either figure out a way to safely retrieve Agent McGee without destroying the FBI's case or work with them jointly to complete both tasks. I'll be in touch.~_

"Treason? We could have gone down for treason?" Jimmy realized that his voice was cracking and he stopped talking as he slid down in his chair. Gibbs resisted the urge to headslap him and instead turned to Sacks.

"How did McGee look?"

Sacks thought about the ghostly figure he'd seen hunched in front of a computer at the Estate that day. "Honestly, not good. He was really pale and his movements were off, like everything was an effort. I didn't get that good of a look, didn't want to attract attention, but Kort seemed worried about him."

"Kort worried about someone else? Not happening."

"Tony!" Abby slapped his arm and Ziva agreed with her.

"He knows what Gibbs will do to him if he allows something to happen to McGee."

Silently agreeing, Gibbs turned to Fornell. "I want to know everything you have on Duplantis and on everyone he's involved with."

-NCIS-

Tim blinked and leaned closer to the monitor as the numbers wavered in and out of focus, Kort watching from the doorway. "You've worked long enough for today, Brad."

He rubbed at his eyes. "Is it time to change for dinner already?" Tim didn't even bother looking at his watch, he hadn't been able to see the hands clearly all day. Instead, he began to save and shut down his work.

"You look exhausted, Brad. Maria will send a tray up to your room." It wasn't Kort's voice, it was Duplantis'. "Have you managed to make any progress?"

"Yes." Tim cleared his throat, using the time to force himself to calm down. He hadn't cleared this with Kort, so he hoped his afternoon's work wouldn't blow up in his face. "I've managed to completely clear the first level of encryption. There's two more levels before I get to the heart of the system, but I did manage to crack the seal on several overseas accounts he had hidden from you."

Tim waited a few seconds before looking up to see Duplantis' reaction, but the hooded eyes revealed little. "Overseas accounts, you say? What have you done about them?"

"You are now in total and legal control of the accounts, but they are still hidden from the government and from any and all of your business rivals." Tim handed Duplantis a list of account numbers and passwords. "A little over twelve million dollars, Mr. Duplantis, and it's all yours. I hope I've earned my keep for the day."

The crime lord skimmed the page listing the details of his new found wealth and whistled. "Your keep and perhaps a bonus as well. I am beginning to understand why Kort thinks so highly of you, Brad. Now, we must keep you healthy, so off to bed with you." Duplantis saluted him with the list as he left the room, Johnny trailing behind him, silent as usual. Shaking his head, Kort helped Tim to stand and steered him out of the room and up the stairs.

Half way up the stairs, Tim stumbled slightly and Kort pulled him closer as they continued. "You're playing a dangerous game, kid. Lucky for you it paid off." Instead of answering the voice in his ear, Tim just smiled. He never knew it was so freeing to have no hope.

-NCIS-

After finally sending the troops home, Fornell stayed behind with Gibbs to finalize their plans. While Fornell looked at the photos of what was left of McGee's car, Gibbs made a few phone calls before returning to the basement with a couple of beers.

"Man, I need that."

"Yeah." Gibbs tapped his bottle against Fornell's. "Hell of a day,Tobias."

"Damn if it wasn't, Jethro. Tomorrow's going to be even worse. Are you going to be able to handle being around Jenny until all this goes down?"

"I have to. Whatever it takes to bring him home safely." Gibbs stared at his bottle as he swirled it, the last few swallows spinning around the bottom of the amber glass. "I knew she had a ruthless streak, but I never dreamed she'd turn on one of her own agents, not like that."

"Be careful of her, we really have no idea what she's capable of right now. Hell, she could blow McGee's cover and get him killed to cover her own tracks if she knows we're onto her. I'll dig up some old case so I can claim to need your help on it, and I'll see you tomorrow." Fornell set his empty bottle on the workbench and walked up the stairs. Gibbs heard the front door close before he turned to the window as he had several times since this nightmare started and raised his drink once again.

"We're on our way, Tim, just hang on for a little bit longer. Just hang on, son, hang on."


	17. Chapter 17

**a/n - Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. New chapter today as things start to gear up. Jenny should have known that at some point she would be going up against the master, and now he's got lots of help.**

"Agent Fornell, the Deputy Director will see you now." Rubbing his sweaty palms on his pant legs, Tobias stood and followed her into the office. Usually, when he was in this office it was to get reamed for some harebrained scheme of Gibbs' Today he was going to ask to be allowed to officially run with one of those harebrained schemes.

"Don't those Navy folk ever sleep, Tobias? The SecNav woke me up at 0400 this morning." Deputy Director Richards did look like he'd had a late night, or more accurately, a very early morning. "What's your take on the situation? Be honest with me."

His ability to assist with the rescue of Timothy McGee would be made or broken by this man, so Fornell knew what was on the line. "Honestly, sir?" When he got a nod, Fornell jumped right in. "If one of my superiors covered up the critical injury of one of my men, and then lied to his parents, gave away his dog, cleared out his apartment and then removed him from his hospital bed to put him undercover solely to settle a personal vendetta, I'd be going in after him no matter what. She told McGee that his team had been killed by Duplantis, he's there for vengeance and I don't think he wants to survive.

"Gibbs is going to go charging in there with or without our help. Our only shot at salvaging our case is to speed up the operation and join forces with Gibbs. He's got the backing of the SecNav and the Assistant Director of NCIS and eventually they are going to take Shepard down. If Timothy McGee dies during this, it will be a PR nightmare. We can either go down with her or be seen as the good guys that tried to save him."

Richards looked thoughtful. "That's all well and good, but we've got to have some hard evidence to justify going in now or later. Find some evidence so we can get a warrant, and you and Gibbs can do it his way. Just keep me in the loop, understood?"

Recognizing the dismissal, Fornell stood. "Understood. Thank you sir."

"Don't thank me yet. You still need evidence and a plan."

-NCIS-

The three remaining members of the team were at their desks well before the start of the workday. That gave them a perfect view as Jenny Shepard stormed down the stairs not five minutes after she arrived, stopping in front of Gibbs' desk. "This is great, just great. The SecNav has insisted that I cancel all of my plans for the day so I can sit in on an all day meeting with him. Jethro, I hope you don't mind, Balboa has requested to trade weekends with your team. That will give your people a three day weekend this weekend instead of the week after next. Any objections?"

"Nope, that's fine." It was more than fine, it was his idea, but she didn't need to know that.

Fornell passed her as he stormed out of the elevator. "Damn it, Gibbs, you're going through a joint cold case without notifying me. I want to see everything you've dug up on Harper, and I want to see it right now."

Jenny watched him pass, the smile growing on her face. "Well, it looks like you're going to have as miserable of a day as I am. Play nice, kids." They all watched as the elevator doors closed behind her. Only then did Fornell drop his scowl.

"Wow, Vance really lit a fire under the SecNav. He woke my boss before daybreak to get him onboard, and now he's got Jenny out from underfoot."

Gibbs just nodded as he grabbed the files hidden in a drawer and headed for the stairs. The rest of the team and Fornell followed him downstairs to autopsy.

-NCIS-

Tim sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for his hands to stop shaking. He'd hoped to be up and dressed before Kort arrived, but his one attempt to stand had almost resulted in him taking a nosedive into the carpet. The familiar voice was outside his door now, and he reached up to run his fingers through his hair at the quick knock before the door swung open.

Kort's practiced eye saw through the deception without fail. "You're worse, you pushed it too hard yesterday."

"I'll be fine, I'm just having some trouble getting started this morning." He grabbed for the bottle of aspirin on the nightstand, but Kort was quicker.

"How many of these damn things have you taken? The bottle's half empty."

Tim reached for the bottle even as Kort pulled back. "Yeah, well, the stronger stuff knocks me out. The aspirin takes the edge off so I can work."

"It's also a blood thinner. I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Kort pocketed the bottle, hoping to end the argument. "Besides, Max is pretty happy with the money you retrieved for him yesterday, so he wouldn't complain if you take a day."

"No, I have to keep going. I'm running out of time." Tim staggered to his feet, bouncing off the door frame as he headed for a shower. Cold water this morning, clearing his foggy head was more important than soothing aching muscles.

The only privacy Kort allowed him was a partially closed door while he showered and a turned head while he dressed, but by now Tim was used to it. He tried not to think of another lifetime where it would have been Tony fussing over him, combining teasing with concern before a headslap settled him down. Once his mind went down that path it was hard to stop as he knew that hand would have gone directly from the back of DiNozzo's head to Tim's shoulder as Gibbs would ask him if he was okay. His 'sure, Boss' would be ignored and he'd be sent to Ducky. It was the thought of Ducky that reigned in his thoughts. Ducky and Abby, all that he had left, would only be safe if he completed his mission. Director Shepard had told him that herself. Complete the mission, save Ducky and Abby and then he could join his team and his family.

Kort watched the emotions flicker across McGee's face before he clamped down on them and returned to the expression he'd come to associate with Bradford McDonald. McGee was right about one thing; one way or another, he was running out of time. For now, he focused on the practical as he bent to tie Tim's shoes. "Can you make it downstairs?"

-NCIS-

Autopsy was one place that few people wandered into by accident and with no cases that had fresh bodies there was no reason for other visitors. After the team, Abby and Fornell arrived, Jimmy sealed the door just to be safe, and Balboa's team would handle any new case that came up.

Abby started them off, disappointment coming off her in waves. "I spent all night going through the hospital's records, Gibbs. There's nothing, if they had any records of Tim on their computers, it's gone. I might be able to reconstruct their deleted files, but I'd have to physically access their mainframe, I can't do it remotely" She was pacing as she talked. "Maybe we can figure out a way to get into their IT department, maybe cause some sort of computer problem and then I could go in to repair it, or..."

"No."

"But Gibbs, Tim is in trouble, and..."

"And we need to focus on getting to him, not to medical records that may or may not still exist."

Ducky interrupted them both. "Jethro is correct, my dear, and those records are a week old. They really won't tell us any more than we already know. He had a head injury that has not been properly treated and internal injuries that would not have had time to heal, no matter how much care he's had. We need to get him out of there quickly and into a proper medical facility."

Abby finally sat down on one of the tables, giving up the floor to Fornell. "Deputy Director Richards will support a joint operation to close down Duplantis and his activities, but we've got to find enough evidence to make charges stick. He won't authorize it just as a rescue, no matter how much danger we think McGee is in."

"How are we going to get the evidence without going through channels and tipping our hand?" Tony was sitting next to Ziva on a table, but he was leaning forward, gripping the edge tightly in frustration. "It'll take days and it sounds like McGee doesn't have that much time."

Gibbs had an answer, but first he had a question. "Fornell, what about your contacts in the CIA?"

Fornell shook his head. "They have no operation planned on Duplantis. He's not interested in working with them like the Frog did and they seem to have washed their hands of the whole thing." He stopped in front of Gibbs, "this is the curious part, though. Kort is currently being loaned out to NCIS as a punishment for losing the Frog. He's been cut off from any CIA resources until Jenny agrees to let him go."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but it sounds like he's just as trapped as the Probie."

"DiNozzo's right, so how do we get the Intel to get them out?" Fornell looked to Gibbs.

"As of 2330 last night, the estate is under twenty-four hour satellite monitoring. Nothing goes in or out without us knowing about it. A second satellite is tracking a shipment of stolen weapons that is headed this direction. We should know withing the next twelve to sixteen hours where the weapons are headed, but right now they're on a direct path to Duplantis."

Fornell was dumbstruck. "Do I even want to know what strings you had to pull to get that kind of coverage?"

Gibbs gave a quick grin. "Sometimes friends in low places are even more important than the ones in high places. We're going to have to be ready to go in as soon as we have confirmation. I'm not sure how long ATF will be willing to wait."

"We will be ready, Gibbs." The rest of the group nodded their agreement with Ziva.

-NCIS-

"And here is our hero of the day." Duplantis made his announcement and began clapping the moment McGee entered the sunroom with Kort.

Kort was the quickest to respond and immediately joined him in clapping. "Here, here, one of our most profitable days and we didn't have to lift a finger." By now the rest of the men around the table were clapping, some with more enthusiasm than others.

Tim McGee may have wanted to duck his head in embarrassment, but Brad McDonald was proud of his manipulation of cyberspace, so Tim gave a sardonic smile as he poured his coffee. "That's what you pay me for, Mr. Duplantis, and I'm just getting started. By the time I'm done, you'll possess every secret Le Grenouille ever had."

"Brad, my boy, call me Max. After your gift last night, you are family." Duplantis was beaming as he spoke, but behind him, Johnny glared at the new threat to his place as future heir-apparent.


	18. Chapter 18

**a/n - Yep, finally a new chapter. So many deadlines to meet. At least I'll have a stockpile of stories to post when this one is done. Attention, curvy road ahead.**

Gibbs and Fornell were just wrapping up the brainstorming session when Fornell's phone rang. It was a brief call, but he had a worried expression when he ended the call. "That was Sacks, we've got a problem with ATF. They claim we're muscling in on one of their operations. He's on his way here with an Agent Wright to sort things out."

"Ziva."

"Finding out everything I can about their current case."

"DiNozzo, help her."

"On it, Boss."

Gibbs looked worried. "Fornell, what do you know about this Agent Wright? Is he going to cause a problem?"

"Possibly." Fornell's lips thinned as he grimaced. "He's known as a real stickler for the rules. I honestly don't know how he'll react to this."

-NCIS-

"Shipment is right on schedule, Sir. The truck should arrive just before midnight." Johnny stood in front of the large desk, waiting for acknowledgment.

Duplantis nodded as he looked over a file on his desk. "That's excellent news, Johnny. Our buyer will arrive in time for breakfast and we will be quite wealthy by lunchtime."

"And without the help of McDonald, the wunderkind."

"Now, now, Johnny." Duplantis closed the file and leaned on his elbows. "The world is changing and we must change with it. We need someone with a wealth of computer knowledge and skills to stay ahead of the competition. Unless you're offering to go to MIT, then we need someone like him as part of the organization, and he has earned my respect. He could have taken that money for himself and I would have never known the difference."

"Yes, Sir." Johnny wasn't convinced, but he knew better than to continue to argue.

-NCIS-

Agent Wright looked less than impressed when informed that the operation was being run behind the back of the Director of NCIS. "Gentlemen, there are channels to go through when the competency of a high ranking official is questioned."

"The SecNav is working on that end along with Assistant Director Vance. In the meantime, I have a man trapped at Duplantis' estate, potentially dying." Gibbs was rapidly losing patience. "Damn it, he's just a kid."

"Kid or not, he agreed to this assignment, Gibbs."

"No, he didn't." Gibbs handed over the pictures of McGee's car. "Director Shepard covered up his accident, lied to us, lied to his family, lied to him, had the accident report buried claiming it was a national security issue, and then kidnapped him from his hospital bed before the doctors could decide if he needed surgery for a head injury. I'm going in to get my man, with or without help. I don't give a damn about the arrests or who gets credit for them, I just want to bring him home."

Wright kept looking at the photos as Gibbs pleaded his case. Finally he looked up, but to Fornell, not Gibbs. "Your Director is on board with this?"

"Yes he is. His only requirement was that we have the evidence to get a warrant. We're tracking the stolen weapons you're after, don't worry."

Gibbs and Fornell waited while Wright paced, obviously debating with himself. "I hope to hell you're right about this. All right, tell me your plan."

-NCIS-

"Hey, McDonald."

Tim looked up as Johnny came through the door. "I haven't found too much on this level, I've only been working on it for a few hours."

Johnny peered over his shoulder at the screen and then dismissed what he was working on. "Whatever, man, but Mr. Duplantis wants to see you." He turned and started walking, not bothering to see if Tim was following him or not.

When they headed for the front door, Tim became nervous. "Where is Mr. Duplantis?" There was no answer as he followed the other man down to the stables. There were no horses in this new section of the stables, but Duplantis was there, along with a handful of his men. Tim swallowed hard when he realized that Kort was not among them.

"Brad, there you are." Duplantis clasped him on the shoulder and pulled him the rest of the way into the barn. "Well, what do you think?"

Tim looked around the empty structure. "Umm, shouldn't there be horses in here?"

Duplantis roared with laughter and pulled him into a one-armed hug as he addressed the other men. "See, what did I tell you? You can't put anything past this one. Here come the horses now." He pointed out one of the windows at a large horse trailer that was approaching from the main gate.

As the trailer came closer, the rest of the men went out to greet it, except for Johnny who hovered by the door until a sharp jerk of Duplantis' head sent him unhappily on his way. Finally alone, Duplantis turned to rest both hands on Tim's shoulders. "The first day you were here, you told me that you were much more than a hacker, and you were right, Brad."

Tim froze, not knowing what was coming, but Duplantis apparently wasn't expecting an answer as he continued. "Computers are taking over the world, but my competitors are clinging to the past. But you are going to take this organization into the future."

"Me?"

"Yes, Brad, you. This week I want you to design the ultimate computer system that will put us ahead of the competition and I want you to stay and run it as my second in command."

"Me?" Tim knew he was repeating himself, but he couldn't help it. "What about Johnny or Trent? They've been with you so much longer."

Duplantis wrapped his arm around Tim's shoulders and started walking him outside. "That is true, but they don't have the talent that you have. Just think, the next time I'm investigated, you can go into the FBI files and aim their suspicions towards my enemies. It will be brilliant."

Tim was totally lost as they went back outside where the new racehorses were being led out of the trailer. Duplantis hugged him again. "Now, as a member of my family, it's time you chose a horse to call your own and my stable manager will teach you to ride."

-NCIS-

"Got something, Boss."

Gibbs, Fornell and Wright all looked up at DiNozzo's announcement. Tony picked up the remote and put a black and white image up on the plasma. "We've got a known arms dealer from Belarus that just cleared customs in New York and is booked on a flight to DC. He's scheduled to land here at 2100 tonight."

"Seller, buyer and weapons, that good enough for you, Wright?" Gibbs didn't even wait for a response as he set up additional surveillance for the new player and Ziva started tracking down his hotel arrangements. It was DiNozzo that found the answer with a quick call to an old buddy with a limo service.

"Boss, he's hired a limo to pick him up at the Beacon Hotel at 0600. The order is for a driver and two bodyguards."

Gibbs grinned. "Two bodyguards? Your friend need any temporary employees?"

"Charlie said to be at the garage at 0500, ready to go."

It was late enough that they moved to Fornell's office to be safely away from the Yard before Jenny returned. By 1930 they were ready to move into position. Three teams, one following the weapons, one ready to follow the buyer, and one to move on the estate, were established with agents from the three combined agencies. Fornell joined Gibbs as he was studying the latest satellite images. "Are you going to call McGee's parents?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, not until we have him safely back with us. Besides, Jenny has been in contact with them and I don't want to put them in that position. It's almost impossible for me to not confront her and he's not my kid. I don't want to put his folks in that position.

-NCIS-

"Uncle Max." She held out her hands and accepted the hug and the kiss on each cheek.

Duplantis beamed at the only daughter of his late friend. "My beautiful Jeanne, how are you?"

"Exhausted, I've been traveling for for hours. The airport in Florida was a zoo."

He hugged her close and walked her upstairs. "It is late, my dear. Off to bed with you and in the morning you sleep in while I have a business meeting and then I am all yours."

"All yours you say?"

"Well, me and a delightful young man I want you to meet. He's recovering from an injury and could use some tender loving care." He laughed and ignored her protests as he led her to her bedroom in the family wing.


	19. Chapter 19

**a/n - Sorry for the delay. Although this is the only story I'm currently posting, it's not the only one I am writing. The others are challenge stories, so they have deadlines. The good news is that I'll have lots to start posting as soon as this one is done. I do have a ten chapter story finished that I can start posting on days that I don't have an update for this one, if anyone is interested.**

At 0500, DiNozzo was at the limo service garage, along with an ATF agent. Kevin Baxter had never done undercover work before but he was tall and muscular and fit the image of a bodyguard. Tony sat down with the garage owner, Charlie along with Agent Baxter and made sure they was brought up to speed on McGee's situation and showed them a picture of the young man.

"What happens when he sees you? I mean, it's gonna be quite a shock if he thinks you're dead. Is he experienced enough in undercover work to not react?" Baxter couldn't imagine being in that situation and not having a reaction to a friend returned from the dead.

Tony knew Baxter was right, just as he knew how hard it was going to be to stay in the background. "He's our computer guy and he's never really done any undercover work, so I'm counting on you to keep him safe, because you're right, he can't see me – at least not right away." Swallowing back his disappointment, Tony put on his sunglasses and climbed in the front seat, next to Charlie.

He was silent as they drove, not saying a word until they arrived at the hotel. He climbed out of the luxurious car and opened the back door. "Mr. Petrovic, welcome to Washington DC."

-NCIS-

"Time to get up, kid."

Tim nodded before he even attempted to open his eyes. He felt lightheaded and disconnected this morning. Taking a deep breath, he levered himself up, Kort catching him as he swayed. "I'm okay."

"Yeah, sure you are." Kort rubbed his forehead as he thought through their options. "We've got a buyer coming in this morning, they're going to need you to handle the transfer of funds. Can you handle that? Somehow, I'm going to get you off the estate and to a real doctor this afternoon."

"I'm fine," Tim forced himself to stand and pushed past Kort before staggering to the closet. "And I'm not leaving yet. I just need another few hours on those files."

Kort had a great deal to say on the subject, but one of the house maids arrived with coffee and a message from Maria. She smirked as she pulled out clothes to replace what he was already holding. "We have a guest that will be joining us for breakfast. Maria wants you to look your best because she is a very pretty young woman."

-NCIS-

Disguised as a utility vehicle, the surveillance van sat on the side of the road, only a hundred yards from the estate driveway. Sacks was up on a utility pole, pretending to work on a transformer while he watched the road. Inside the van, Gibbs and Fornell kept in communication with Abby, who was monitoring the incoming satellite imagery back in her lab. Fornell's eyebrow went up as he watched his old friend fidget for the first time that he could remember.

"Jethro, relax, we'll have him soon enough."

"Will it be?" When Fornell gave him a blank look, Gibbs shook his head. "You heard what Ducky said about his head injury. We're running out of time, and McGee thinks he has nothing left to hang on to." Gibbs turned to look out the window towards the estate. From their position, just the corner of the roof was visible through the trees. They'd buried more agents in the last four years than the previous twenty, but those families at least had the knowledge their loved ones died defending their country. If they lost McGee, how would his family deal with knowing he'd been sacrificed for a personal vendetta? That question was too close to how he'd lost Shannon and Kelly, and he refused to let that happen.

"Abby, anything new?"

-NCIS-

If anyone walked past Abby's lab, they would assume the busy lab rat had taken a well deserved day off. The doors were locked and the lights were dark. Even if someone were to peer through the glass, her office looked empty and undisturbed. Only from inside would the form of the worried Goth be visible, sitting on the floor, under her desk with a row of monitors. Headphones and a mike kept her in communication with the team, a row of Caf-Pows and a picture of McGee kept her calm.

"Looks like they're starting to wake up there, Gibbs. Some activity out by the stables, and the guards around the weapons have changed. I wasn't able to identify last night's arrival, just that it was a woman, and judging by her luggage, she's planning on staying for a while."

She heard the crackled 'good job' over her headset, but Abby was much more interested in watching the image of the main house, wondering which bedroom held her injured friend. "Just bring him home, Gibbs."

-NCIS-

Ziva was crouched down next to a group of ATF agents, hidden in the trees on the far side of their target. This nondescript metal building was on the eastern edge of Duplantis' estate, far enough away that he might have been able to claim he didn't know what was happening if they hadn't witnessed the changing of the guard with Abby tracking them back to the main house. She heard the conversation between Gibbs and Abby and wasn't surprised when the call to check in came through her earwig.

"Three in and three out, Gibbs. As Abby surmised, it appeared to be a shift change. All three of them are currently inside, and no other guards are stationed outside or patrolling the area. They are overconfident."

It was Sacks' voice that came through next, from his perch on the top of the utility pole, announcing the arrival of the limo.

-NCIS-

Tony resisted the urge to look up at the familiar utility worker when they passed the pole before Charlie smoothly turned the large vehicle into the driveway. He subtly tapped the hidden wire he was wearing to make sure they were all listening as he climbed out of the stopped limo.

Duplantis stood in wait on the expansive front porch. As soon as the figure climbed out of the back seat, he strode down the steps, arms outreached. "Dimitri, my old friend, welcome to my home."

Dimitri Petrovic accepted the greeting, clapping his back as he hugged Duplantis. "Max, it has been too long. Tell me, how have you been?" The two men retreated back up the stairs, leaving the bodyguards standing by the car. Baxter and DiNozzo exchanged glances before DiNozzo turned his attention to the open windows, looking for any sign of his injured Probie inside. After getting only a partial glance at a familiar face, but paler and with red hair, Petrovic and Duplantis came back down, and Petrovic waved them to follow.

The limo, along with Charlie, was left behind as Duplantis and Petrovic walked around to a carport on the side of the house. Kort was there, sitting behind the wheel of a golf cart. Duplantis sat next to him, and Petrovic took the entire back seat, leaving the two undercover agents to share the small jump seat in the back.

Hanging onto the canopy support, Tony tried to catch Kort's eye, but the CIA agent never looked up into the small rear view mirror. The path was well made, but still rough and after a moment, Tony had to concentrate on not getting bumped out of cart.

Out further in the woods, and back by the entrance, the representatives of the three agencies listened through DiNozzo's wire as they all waited for the signal to move in. Unfortunately, the two hired bodyguards were left behind when Duplantis, Petrovic and Kort went into the building, the guards walking the perimeter preventing them from looking through the window.

It was a long five minutes before the three men came back out through the door, and with no other option available, DiNozzo and Baxter returned to their seat. Tony watched Kort carefully, this time he did make eye contact when he looked up in the mirror.

"We should hurry, Mr. Duplantis. I'm sure Maria would prefer if business were concluded before she served breakfast."

Petrovic laughed. "Ah, I see your lovely Maria still runs the estate. Does she still have the rule against working breakfasts?"

"In the old world, breakfast was the most important meal of the day, Dimitri. Besides, I have a guest at the estate. You remember Jeanne? Rene's little girl?"

From the rear jump seat, Tony's eyes widened in alarm. That was a complication they weren't expecting. In the driver's seat, Kort's eyes flickered slightly as he clamped down on his own panic.


	20. Chapter 20

**a/n - only a few more chapters to go, thanks for sticking around.**

"Will she recognize him? Gibbs, did she see him that day?" Fornell tried to remember the day that Jeanne accused Tony of murdering her father.

Gibbs shook his head as he tried to think back. "I don't know. He was splitting his time between his desk and his workstation down in the lab. They didn't talk to each other, but who knows if she noticed him."

_~He looks different; that might help.~_

They exchanged glances. "What do you mean, Sacks?"

_~I guess it's because he's hurt, but he looks like he hasn't been out in the sun for years, and they dyed his hair.~_

"Let's hope it's enough." Gibbs turned back to his view of the building. "We haven't come though all this to have him gunned down in front of us."

-NCIS-

Tim was already at the computer when he heard Maria greet the guest that had arrived overnight. When he heard her name he froze, his fingers paused over the keyboard, frantically trying to remember if she'd actually looked at him. People, especially beautiful women, tended to overlook him, but he couldn't remember for sure. He slumped down further behind the monitor, hoping to be invisible to the woman Maria wanted him to impress, the same woman who could blow his cover.

-NCIS-

It was hard to sit in the woods and watch the three men leave the building, but until either the money exchange took place, or Petrovic took possession of the arms, they had to wait. Ziva checked her gun for the seventh time. Wright stopped her by laying his hand across the barrel. She glared at him before looking away. "I do not like waiting."

"None of us do, Officer David, but sometimes it is necessary."

She nodded, shifting to look towards the house. "McGee will be caught in the crossfire when it goes down."

"Is he experienced enough to take care of himself?" Wright had tried to read McGee's file, but Shepard had removed it from the database.

"He has been a field agent for a few years now, but there is still a naivety about him. It makes us... protective of him at times, and knowing how badly he was injured makes it even harder to wait." She thought back to the pictures of the mangled car. "It is time to bring him home."

Wright took his hand off her SIG and placed it on her shoulder. "We should have the signal soon."

-NCIS-

"Brad, my dear?" Tim braced himself as Maria came in with Jeanne.

He pretended to be engrossed in his work. "Hmmm?"

"I would like you to meet the daughter of Mr. Duplantis' oldest friend. This is Jeanne Benoit Jeanne, this is Bradford McDonald, the new computer specialist who is going to be your uncle's right hand man."

It was easy to let his inner shy geek shine through for just a moment. Tim raised up slightly and offered his hand, not quite looking her in the eye. "Umm, hi."

Jeanne bit back a smile. A blind man could see the matchmaking that was going on here, but she had to admit the bashfulness was a refreshing change. She took his hand. "Hello, Brad, it's nice to meet you. So, you're Uncle Max's new man?"

He shrugged, not knowing if she even remembered his alter-ego, but not wanting to encourage her. "I just help Mr. Duplantis with his computer."

Something felt familiar about McDonald and she laughed at his words. "Well, since Uncle Max can't even send an email, you have your work cut out for you." He blushed and retreated behind the monitor, but Maria wasn't quite done.

"After you're fully recovered, Brad, you and Jeanne should go horseback riding. She's an expert horsewoman and would be a great teacher for you." Jeanne caught the mention of recovery, as was Maria's goal.

"Have you been ill, Brad?"

He remembered that she was a doctor, but he couldn't risk it, not when he was so close to breaking through to the files he was after. Determined to follow it through to the end, he forced a smirk back on his face. "Just a little on the job injury, but I'm fine now." He finally looked up at her, holding her gaze, praying that she wouldn't remember him, that she wouldn't call out the name of her former lover, his best friend, murdered by the man she called uncle.

Something about this stranger nagged at her, but she didn't force it. "When computers attack? Well, if you're sure you're all right..."

Maria chose that moment to bustle back in. "Hardly. It was just days ago that Dr. Ballard was talking about drilling into his skull."

"A head injury? That's nothing to mess around with, Brad. Maybe I should give you a quick check up, myself. Exactly how did it happen? Did you fall, or was it a car accident, or did someone hit you?"

When she said 'car accident' he saw a flash of hooves as a blinding pain hit him. He swayed and Jeanne grabbed his arm, keeping him from falling.

"What's wrong? Tell me what you're feeling."

"I'm fine. It was a bomb." It sounded more like a question than a statement, but the arrival of Duplantis and his guest stopped the conversation.

-NCIS-

Kort parked in front of the house and let Duplantis and Petrovic go ahead of them, leaning close to whisper in DiNozzo's ear. "Tell me the plan."

"Cavalry's here, just waiting for the money exchange."

A quick glance at the beefy guard at the doorway is all Kort could risk. He hoped DiNozzo could put it together. "Johnny's suspicious and jealous of McGee."

For all his joking and frat boy image, Tony was quick when it counted. "Got it."

CIA, ATF and NCIS, the three men entered the house, DiNozzo and Baxter behind Kort, just in time to see Petrovic hand an account number to McGee. Tony risked a glance around, but Jeanne had retreated from the study to allow the men to conduct their business. Safe for the moment, he turned his attention to the man behind the computer. Baxter stepping in front of him was the only thing that stopped Tony from moving forward. Once stopped, it was all he could do to bite back a moan when he saw the fragile, haunted figure logging into Petrovic's off-shore account. Without looking at the other people in the room, Tim turned the keyboard to allow Petrovic to type in his authorization code.

With Duplantis and Petrovic leaning over his shoulders, Tim completed the transaction and the two men shook hands. Behind them, DiNozzo gave the signal. "Looks like champagne is in order."

-NCIS-

Ziva, Wright, and almost a dozen ATF agents were ready when the signal came. Two of the guards were taken down without a sound by agents that had been hiding in the bushes. The third guard raised a radio to sound the alarm, but it shattered from a bullet before he could depress the button. Ziva smiled coldly as she stared at him down the barrel of her weapon and he slowly raised his hands, one of them bloodied by the plastic shrapnel. While the rest of the agents secured the building and the weapons, Wright, Ziva and four of the agents cut through the woods to the main house, using the ATV's Duplantis' men had parked along the path.

-NCIS-

Dirt and gravel flew when Gibbs heard the signal. In the back of the van, Fornell and Sacks hung onto whatever they could. A second van had been hidden another mile down the road, and the driver vainly tried to catch up Gibbs, but the second van was nowhere in sight when Gibbs slid to a stop outside the house.

Inside the study, everyone looked up at the sounds of shouting and squealing brakes, just as Maria returned with a coffee tray, Jeanne only a few steps behind her. She had returned to check on the obviously ill young man sitting at the computer, but instead found herself face to face with someone she thought she'd never see again.

"Tony?"

-NCIS-

Standing off to the side, Johnny seethed as he watched Maximilian Duplantis pat Brad on the shoulder. He'd started out as a runner for a bookie when he was just fifteen years old and worked his way up to become Duplantis' personal bodyguard, taking care of the parts of the business that the old man found too distasteful to handle personally. He'd earned the spot as the chosen one, the heir apparent of the empire he'd help build, but the arrival of the computer nerd had shattered his dreams. Between Kort, Maria and Duplantis himself, Johnny had never had a chance to settle the turf war the upstart didn't even realize he'd started, but Johnny was waiting for the chance.

Everyone knew that Le Grenouille had been destroyed after his precious daughter fell in love with an undercover agent and when she recognized one of the hired guns Petrovic brought with him as her former lover, Johnny didn't need a map to put the pieces together.

Jeanne screamed, the doors were kicked in, and rather than protect his boss, Johnny chose revenge first. He pulled his gun, but his first act was to slam his fist into the side of McGee's head. He wasn't surprised when he felt the pain of a bullet, but he didn't expect it to be from a gun in Duplantis' hand. Duplantis staggered back from the answering retort and Johnny lunged forward to grab Jeanne, firing a second shot, this time at Kort.

-NCIS-

Tony had seen his share of busts go bad, but never like this. He was suddenly looking in Jeanne's familiar brown eyes and before he could react, or Gibbs could get through the door, McGee was down, Duplantis and his bodyguard had shot each other, and now Jeanne was a hostage. Baxter had taken on Petrovic, who opened fire on the computer tower before dropping his gun and surrendering, while the agents in the hallway and outside were busily engaging the rest of Duplantis' men.

"Let her go, man, there's no way out of this." Tony blocked everything else out as he drew a bead on his suspect. Johnny shook his head as he tightened his grip on the frightened woman.

"No way, fed. She's my ticket out of here."

"Not happening. I am not letting you hurt her." Tony was aware of Baxter off to the side and Kort on the floor, both with guns drawn, but neither man had the angle needed.

Listening to his familiar voice and remembering how he'd protected her when the drug dealer, Jeanne forced a calm she didn't feel and stared hard at Tony. Taking a deep breath, she silently started a count, knowing Johnny couldn't see her lips moving. Trusting in Tony, she reached three and threw herself to the side just as Tony pulled the trigger.


	21. Chapter 21

**a/n - Yep, I'm back. Things aren't great, but they are better. Thanks for all your worry and well wishes. Now, onto the story. Remember, this is set at the end of season 5, right before Judgement Day. Yes, that was a hint, no there will not be a test g Umm, tissues might be nice.**

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Petrovic didn't wait very long. At the first sign of trouble and Baxter's attention was diverted to the hostage situation, he rushed for the side door in the study, its frame hidden in the dark wooden paneling. He, himself would not have noticed the door if he hadn't already known about it. With DiNozzo and Baxter shooting it out with Johnny in the study, only Kort went after him.

-NCIS-

"Jeanne? Jeanne?" Tony holstered his weapon as he rushed closer to the fallen figures. Duplantis was still, his chest covered with blood, while McGee was struggling to sit up. Between the two, Jeanne was on the floor, Johnny's body weighing her down. Gibbs had arrived and was rushing to McGee's side so Tony concentrated on Jeanne.

Tony's shot had been true, as the hole in Johnny's forehead showed. He barely gave the body a second thought as he rolled it away to check on the woman underneath. Blood was splattered across her face, but she gasped and sat up the second she was free. Batting Tony's hands away, she crawled to her uncle's side. "Uncle Max, Uncle Max, can you hear me?" Moaning at the amount of blood covering him, she checked his pulse and started CPR. Knowing it was already too late, he reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Jeanne, it's too late."

"No, he's not gone, he's not." she turned to him and shoved. "Why do you hate me, Tony? Why do you people keep killing the ones I love?"

Tony tried to reason with her while out of the corner of his eye he watched Gibbs struggling with McGee. "Jeanne, it wasn't us that shot him, it was his own bodyguard. I'm sorry your uncle is dead, but there's others that need your help." She shook her head and resumed her attempts at resuscitation.

-NCIS-

As soon as Fornell and Sacks had the last suspect under control, Gibbs left them to move into the next room. A quick sweep told him that the room was secure. Tony was dealing with Duplantis and Jeanne and Baxter had a gun on the bodyguard, so Gibbs went straight to McGee. The younger man struggled to sit up before his arms buckled and he collapsed back to the floor.

"McGee? Tim?" Gibbs carefully rolled him onto his back as he checked his breathing. "Come on, son, don't give up on me now."

"Boss?" Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief when the young man recognized him, but it was short lived. "Is it time? I found the file, she said I could go with you when I found it."

"Tim?" He seemed to collapse into himself even as Gibbs checked him. "Stay with me. Tim?" He gently slapped at the pale face, momentarily relieved when the green eyes opened back up.

"Why'd you leave me behind, Boss? I found the files, now I can go with you, right? I don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone, Tim. Never again, I promise." Gibbs lifted him enough to pull him closer, cradling his head and turning it so he could look into the closing green eyes. "We need you to stay with us, McGee."

-NCIS-

Kevin Baxter forced himself to calm down after surviving his first major raid and realized that he was holding a gun on an obviously dead man. Hoping to cover his slip he turned to cuff Petrovic and discovered that he was no longer there. Cursing to himself, he looked around to see that the CIA operative was also missing. There was no way that they could have gotten past him and the agents in the hall, so he looked around closely for another exit from the room. Stepping around the large desk, he noticed a strip of the wood paneling that didn't line up with the rest of the wall. He pushed at it and it swung open. Gun at the ready, he eased through the narrow opening and crept down the passage.

-NCIS-

"Jeanne, he needs your help." Tony forced her to turn away from her uncle's body and look at the young man in Gibbs' arms. She shook her head and pulled away from him.

"He was trying to destroy what's left of my family."

Tony shifted so that he was facing her again. "No, Jeanne. He was told that your uncle had all of us killed. He was trying to get justice for us."

"What?" She kept looking between Tony and McGee, shaking her head. "Who would make up a story like that?"

"Director Shepard." The bitterness in his voice was something she'd never heard before, and it made her listen. "His name is Timothy McGee and he's my best friend, Jeanne. He had a car wreck on his vacation. He almost died and instead of telling us what happened to Tim, she used his amnesia against him."

"His head injury?"

"Yeah." Tony nodded, his voice breaking. "That bi... woman used her authority to remove him from the hospital before he was even stable and tricked him into believing that we were all dead, that your uncle had all of us murdered somehow."

Each glance at the injured man was longer as her anger visibly deflated. "Why would Director Shepard do that? What did my father do to make her hate all of us so much?"

"I don't know, Jeanne. All I know is that Tim's the innocent one here. Be angry at her, be angry at me, but please, don't take it out on him." Tony held his breath as he watched Jeanne edge closer to Gibbs and McGee.

-NCIS-

Petrovic stumbled in the dark, groaning in frustration when he appeared to hit a dead end. Behind him, he could hear someone coming closer, having found his escape route. He frantically felt along the walls of the passageway, looking for a way to defend himself, or even better, a way out.

Further back, Kort leaned against the wall, pressing his hand against the bleeding hole in his shoulder. He had a slight advantage because he'd been in the tunnel with Duplantis several times and knew the layout. With any luck, Petrovic would have trouble finding the release for the sliding door to the outside and he could take the man while he was distracted. He could hear a third person now in the secret hallway, but he wasn't close enough to do any good. Abandoning any attempt to stem the flow of blood, Kort wiped his hand on his pant leg before easing his gun out. If they lost Petrovic his agency would throw him to the wolves and he was determined to be free of the she-wolf that currently had control of his life.

-NCIS-

"So, your real name is Tim?" Jeanne crawled close and touched his cheek, finding it cold and clammy under her fingers. When he eyes opened again, she was shocked at how uneven his pupils had become in such a short time.

His voice was raspy and weak, forcing her to lean closer to hear him. "Sorry... sorry you got caught up in this again. Didn't know you... were going to be here." The green eyes slowly closed again.

"No, Tim, I need you to stay awake. Stay with us." Her hands fluttered over him as she tried to assess his condition with no medical equipment. Tim stopped her hand, his grasp surprisingly strong considering his condition.

"It's okay, I'm ready to go... Gibbs came back for me. I'm so tired of being alone."

"McGee, you need to hang on. You don't have permission to die." Gibbs struggled to find a way to convince him that they were still alive and not ghosts. He increased the pressure of his hands, tapping his face again. "Do you hear me? You do not have permission to die, McGee."

"Please, Boss, I did what she asked, she promised. It's the only way to keep Abby safe, please let me come with you this time."

"Tim..." Words failed him and he looked over to DiNozzo, seeing his devastated face. After all they had been through, Tim was slipping through their fingers. Behind them, Sacks appeared, slightly out of breath.

"Medevac chopper is fifteen minutes out."

At the FBI agent's words, Jeanne looked up at Gibbs and slightly shook her head. If her patient didn't start fighting to survive, fifteen minutes would be too long.

-NCIS-

The side of the main house was in sight, so Ziva, Wright and the other agents abandoned the ATV's to approach on foot. A large arbor, supporting heavy, dormant vines shadowed the wall and darkened the windows. Ziva's earpiece had been almost silent since the last calls for weapons to be lowered and the resulting gunfire. SIG at her side, she crept closer, hoping to use one of the windows to determine what was happening before she broke radio silence.

-NCIS-

Further down the road, past the notice of anyone from the estate, two men waited in a dark sedan. Unarmed, they were forced to stay behind until the scene was secured, but the call for a medical chopper was enough for them to abandon their orders.

"Drive, Mr. Palmer, drive."

-NCIS-

In the dark, Petrovic smiled when his fingers wrapped around a handle. Hanging on to the metal bar, his other hand patted above and then below it until he found the lock. The sound reverberated through the narrow corridor, but freedom was so close he could taste it. Once the door was open, he knew he'd be silhouetted so he turned and fired off several shots down the dark passage. He had no idea if he'd hit his pursuer, but he'd at least slow him down. As the last shot echoed he shoved the door open and found himself staring down the barrel of federally issued SIG Sauer. The woman behind the gun gave him a feral grin.

"Try me."

-NCIS-

Maria Corbin finally pushed her way past Fornell and dropped to her knees next to Jeanne, reaching out to McGee as she muttered under her breath. Jeanne recognized the Italian words of a heartfelt prayer before Maria turned to her. "Dr. Ballard wanted to drill a hole in his head, but Mr. Kort wouldn't let him."

Jeanne nodded, realizing just how trouble her new patient was in. "How was he stabilized before?"

"An ice bath." Maria smiled as she thought back. "He was as weak as a newborn, but Mr. Kort was so gentle with him, carried him back and forth to the bathroom, sat up with him all night when the fever made him delirious."

Gibbs exchanged a look with DiNozzo before turned back to Maria. "Trent Kort took care of him?"

"Oh, yes, Mr. Kort was very careful with him. Even when Brad seemed uncaring about his own health, Mr. Kort made sure he didn't push himself too hard."

"Kort?" DiNozzo still wasn't believing.

Maria remembered an overheard conversation between her boss and Trent Kort. "Brad's father saved Mr. Kort before that awful she-devil had him killed. A mutual enemy, that's what Mr. Duplantis called her, he was going to take care of her after his business with Mr. Petrovic was finished." She reached out and brushed the dyed hair back from McGee's face. "Such a gentleman, and so smart, Mr. Duplantis wanted him to be part of the family."

Gibbs heard the familiar voice of the medical examiner speaking with Fornell as he rushed in, so he stood to make room, tugging Tony back with him. Palmer was just a few steps behind him, lugging the medical supplies. After a quick conversation using terms the rest did not understand, Ducky and Jeanne began working frantically on McGee, Palmer handing over the necessary drugs and supplies.

As they watched, Tony leaned over to whisper in Gibbs' ear. "Let me see if I've got this right, Duplantis was going to put a hit out on the Director to protect McGee from her? Talk about the ultimate irony."

"Makes you wonder exactly who's the bad guy here, doesn't it?"

Muffled gunfire interrupted any answer DiNozzo may have given as the teams called out to each other. Eventually, Ziva's voice came over the earpieces.

_~We have Petrovic in custody. Kort is injured and we are coming back through the escape tunnel into the study. Stand by.~_

Looking rather sheepish, Baxter was the first one back through the hidden door, having never caught up with Kort, or been in on the capture of the suspect he'd lost in a sealed room. Ziva was next, dragging a cuffed Petrovic while Wright helped Kort to the nearest chair.

Palmer jumped to his feet, but Kort waved him away. "I'm all right, concentrate on McGee. How bad is it?"

Tony reached over Palmer to pluck out a pack of gauze and toss it to Wright who immediately tore it open and used it to apply pressure to the shoulder wound. "He's alive, but I don't think he wants to be. Did she really tell him we were all dead?"

"Killed in a bomb blast," Kort grimaced as he thought back to the horrible picture Shepard had painted in McGee's mind. "She told him that the only reason he survived was because Gibbs saw the bomb and threw himself over McGee to protect him. Then she told him that his family was killed in a car accident rushing to get to his side and that his other friends at the agency were in protective custody. She convinced him that the only way to keep them safe was to get to the computer files hidden by Le Grenouille. Then he could pass on and join his team and his family."

"And take the truth of what she'd done to his grave." Gibbs gave him a hard look. "Was she just going to let you walk away when it was done?"

"I guarantee you that she had some sort of plan for me. Whatever it was, all I could do was keep the kid alive and wait for you to find us. Your Gibblets all think you're magic and I just had to hope they were right."

Jeanne listened as Kort told his tale, her sympathy for her patient growing. Beneath her fingers, the thready pulse was becoming weaker, but now she knew what would keep him fighting long enough to make it to the hospital. "Agent McGee, Agent McGee!" She rubbed his chest hard and leaned close as he opened his eyes. "Have you turned the files over to Director Shepard?"

It was a struggle, that was obvious, but he forced out the negative response she knew he would. Putting as much force behind her words as she could, she gave him her orders. "Then the job's not done, mister. You can't go with them until you hand her those files. Do you understand me?"

Tim stared at her for a long time before he nodded. His eyes lost some of their focus before he turned to look at Gibbs. The child-like trust almost took the older man's breath away. "Will you wait for me, Boss?"

"Of course we will, McGee." Gibbs moved close again and cupped his cheek. "You keep fighting, son, and we'll wait for you."

When the crew from the medevac chopper arrived Gibbs had to release his hold on McGee and finally took a good look over at his other agents. Tony's face was twisted with the anguish of watching his best friend longing for death and Ziva was silently crying, her hands pressed hard against her mouth. Gibbs reached out and grasped them both by the neck, hoping to reassure them. "Hey, that determination to not let us down has kept him alive this far."

Ziva gave a small smile and wiped her eyes, the emotions quickly locked away, while Tony looked worried. "Boss, we need the files she was after if we're going to charge her." He jerked his chin towards the desk where McGee had been working. The older, large computer tower was riddled with bullet holes and still smoldering.

"Damn it." Gibbs closed his eyes for a minute as he shook his head before opening them again to stare at DiNozzo. "Get it to Abby... and pray."

-NCIS-

To his friends, it seemed to take forever before McGee was ready to be loaded onto the helicopter. They watched as Jeanne worked frantically, repeatedly injecting medications into his IV as Ducky checked and rechecked his responses. Once he was finally on the gurney and being moved to the door, Gibbs turned back to look at Kort. The second medical team had arrived and were wrapping a pressure bandage around his shoulder. Kort looked up and when the two made eye contact, Gibbs gave a grim smile and nodded. _Thank you for taking care of my boy._

The sardonic smile on Kort's face didn't match up with the worry in his eyes. _Now, it's your turn, don't let him go._

-NCIS-

Maria Corbin fulfilled her duties to the estate and watched as the bodies were carried away. She stared at the various agents and crime scene technicians as they touched and handled every inch of the once immaculate home. She comforted the maids and the other staff members as they were interviewed and then sent on their way, and when she was the last one left, she packed a bag under the watchful eye of an ATF agent and stiffly walked out the door.

It wasn't until she was safely alone in a hotel room that she let the tears come. Once the storm had passed, she dried her eyes and washed her face. She had one more duty to perform. The ATF agent hadn't batted an eye as she packed her belongings, hadn't even looked through her personal journal before Maria carefully placed it in her bag. If he had, he might have noticed the list of phone numbers that filled the last five pages, might have noticed how many of those numbers were international numbers, how one was from Moscow.

While the international call went through, Maria touched up her make-up and fixed her hair. To the world she was only the cook, but to Max she had been so much more. Jenny Shepard had taken that away from her, had tried to destroy the young man that her Max was already thinking of as family. Ten years ago, Maria had been a cook in Russia, before tragedy had struck there and Max had brought her to the States and Jenny Shepard had no idea how small of a world it truly was.

The switchboard operator answered the call, her voice muffled by the static, but Maria didn't need to hear much, she knew who to ask for. "Natasha Lenkov, please." There was a wait, then a familiar voice came on the line.

_~This is Natasha.~_

Maria smiled as her hand tightened around the receiver. "Svetlana, it is I, Maria." A pause.

_~Maria, this is a surprise. What can I do for you, my dear?~_

"It is what I can do for you, my old friend. We have a mutual enemy and I believe you have a score to settle..."


	22. Chapter 22

a/n - Bet you thought you'd never see the end of this one, didn't you? Finally got all my files for it pieced back together and found undamaged files for several more WIP's so things are looking up. Today's a double-dip day as the first chapter of the sequel to_ Left Behind _will go up later. Thanks for sticking with me.

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Jeanne looked through the glass at the silent group watching McGee. The young man had survived emergency surgery and now all they could do was wait. As a civilian, she had no standing at Bethesda, but a few words from Ducky had cleared the way for her to be involved in McGee's case albeit indirectly. Of all the figures huddled around the bed, her attention kept drifting back to the most familiar, remembering what Tim had said to her about Tony.

_Twelve hours earlier:_

_It was too loud to converse as they lifted the stretcher into the chopper, but Jeanne didn't need her ears to understand the look she saw in Tony's eyes. This was not the agent she was looking at, this was the man she'd fallen in love with, and he was begging her to not let his friend die. Praying that she wasn't setting Tony up for more hurt she gave him her most encouraging smile before allowing Gibbs to boost her up into the helicopter. They had just landed at the hospital when she felt a hand tighten on her arm and found herself staring into cloudy green eyes. She bent closer to hear him as the engines powered down._

_"He loved you, you know."_

_Jeanne didn't know what to say, so she just nodded and brushed his hair back as she checked his vitals again. Tim's eyes started to drift shut, but he didn't let go of her._

_"Please, don't hate his memory... promise me you..."_

_"I promise, but you have to remember your promise too. The job's not done yet, Agent McGee." He didn't answer her and she rubbed hard at his chest. "Tim? Tim, stay with me."_

That had been the last moment of consciousness. Every hour since the surgery Jeanne or one of the other medical staff checked his responses to no avail. Six hours later the chief neurosurgeon began discussing the possibility of a coma. One hour after that a nurse had suggested they go home. Jeanne knew better than to even try.

"How is he?" The clipped voice wasn't too much of a surprise and she turned around to confront the escapee from upstairs. Somehow Gibbs had pulled enough strings to get a CIA agent admitted into a Navy hospital.

She gave the latest arrival a careful look. His arm was supported by a sling and the bulk from the bandages could be seen under his hospital robe, but he'd been given the pajamas for ambulatory patients. "Mr. Kort, does your nurse know you're down here?"

"I'm sure she'll figure it out." He peered around her to see into the room. "Is he still unconscious?"

Jeanne wasn't sure how this man fit into the picture. "Tim may be slipping into a coma." The only reaction was a tightening of his jaw.

The door behind them opened. "Kort, sit down before you fall down." Gibbs held the door for the injured man. Once Kort passed him, Gibbs turned his attention to Jeanne, but she shook her head, not wanting to intrude.

-NCIS-

After the longest day of meetings she could have ever imagined, Jenny Shepard arrived back aboard the Yard. She half expected to find Gibbs parked in her office, waiting to grill her about McGee's whereabouts, but even he had abandoned the quiet building. "Cynthia, were there any messages from Agent Gibbs?" Kicking off her shoes, Jenny poured herself a drink.

"No, ma'am. He and his entire team have been away from the Yard since right after they started working on that old case with Agent Fornell. It's been really quiet, even Abby took a day off."

Jenny set the drink down on her desk without taking a sip. "Abby took a personal day? She hasn't taken an unplanned personal day since I've been director."

Cynthia knew something was going on, the undercurrents had been too strong for it to be just her imagination. "I'm sorry, Director, all I know is that Agent Gibbs signed off on her request before he left with Agent Fornell."

"Thank you, Cynthia. You've put in a long day, have a good evening and I'll see you tomorrow." It was an obvious dismissal, and Jenny held her office door open if there had been any doubt. More convinced than ever, but not wanting to force the situation, her assistant walked to the outer office and began shutting down her computer. Jenny didn't move from the door until the elevator closed, leaving her alone on the top floor.

Finally alone, Jenny returned to her desk, digging a hand full of pills out of her purse to wash down with the bourbon. "What are you up to, Jethro?" The glass didn't answer, so after she'd drained it, Jenny went down to the sub-basement. The lab was dark and locked, as she was expecting, but what she wasn't expecting was for her security code to not over-ride the lock on the door. It took three attempts before she admitted that she'd been locked out of the lab and would have to find her answers elsewhere.

-NCIS-

Offering to make the coffee run, Tony slipped out of McGee's hospital room. The team had just spent the last hour hearing about what their teammate had gone through. Even knowing that Kort had probably skimmed over some of it, Tony was restless and wanting to punch something. A quick jog for the boss's favorite coffee seemed an acceptable compromise.

"Tony?"

"Jeanne." He waited for her to join him at the elevator. "I'm making a coffee run, looks like it's going to be a long night." Over Jeanne's shoulder he saw Ziva giving him an encouraging nod. "Can I bring you back something? Your usual?"

"Actually, I think I'll go with you, if you don't mind. I need to stretch my legs." Once the elevator door closed behind them, she asked the question she really wanted to ask. "Were there really weapons at my uncle's horse ranch?"

It probably was classified, but Tony decided she deserved the truth. "Yeah, there were. Three hundred automatic rifles and over a dozen shoulder held Stinger missiles, all stolen from a private transport company hired by the Army. The buyer was a well known dealer based in Belarus that's been supplying the Chechen rebels for years."

Digesting what she'd been told, Jeanne was silent as they walked to the coffee kiosk in the lobby, not speaking until they were waiting for their order. "I didn't know. Was my father... was he as bad?"

Tony very carefully worded his answer. "I think he was more... selective with his buyers. He worked closely with the CIA, how bad that was... is a matter of interpretation." He held up his hand. "Before you ask, I don't know what the deal was between your father and Director Shepard, just that it started a long time ago when he worked with her father."

She nodded, again absorbing what he told her. Before the elevator arrived to take them back upstairs, Jeanne spoke quietly, not looking at Tony. "I don't hate you anymore. I hate the circumstances, I hate what happened, but I don't hate you. I just wish I had met Tony DiNozzo instead of Anthony DiNardo."

"Yeah, me too."

-NCIS-

After a tense phone call to McGee's parents, where they had more questions than he had answers, Gibbs resumed pacing the hallway. They had been chased out of McGee's room so the doctors could examine him again. Ziva joined him as he moved past her while Abby stayed stationed at the door to Tim's room.

"Will McGee's parents be here soon?"

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose. "A storm's got their flight grounded in Utah. Assistant Director Vance is trying to arrange ground transportation to get them to an airbase in Yuma. The Marines will get them the rest of the way."

"That is good. He will need to see them himself to believe they are all still alive. When are you going to question Director Shepard?"

He'd been avoiding the elephant in the room ever since Abby had confirmed that salvaging the data from the damaged computer tower was impossible, the hard drive shattered beyond repair. Until McGee regained consciousness, it was Kort's word against hers and she'd systematically removed Kort from any support he might have had within his own agency. Even when McGee woke up, it would be his fractured memories against Shepard's well laid out plan. "I don't know, Ziva."

Ducky's arrival saved Gibbs from further debate and the medical examiner had a smile on his face. "Jethro, Timothy is beginning to show signs of awareness." Anything else he might have said was told to an empty hall as Gibbs rushed back into the room with Ziva at his heels. Abby was already at one side of the bed, talking to the still man, so Gibbs went to the other side.

"Tim, it's time to come back to us, son." Gibbs leaned down and wrapped his hand around Tim's. A moment later he was rewarded when the fingers flexed under his. "That's it, Tim, now just open your eyes."

"B'ss..?"

If he hadn't been bent close, Gibbs never would have heard the faint voice. "I'm here, Tim, and you're safe now." When the familiar green eyes finally opened, Gibbs smiled in relief. "Welcome home, Buddy."

"Real?"

Gibbs knew what was being asked. "Yeah, Tim, it's real. We're all here, your family is fine, Abby and Ducky are safe. She used your amnesia and she lied to you, but it's over now and you're going to be fine.

Tim stared at the man he thought had died to save him. "She told me..."

"I know." Gibbs held on tight as he reached down and wiped away a tear with the thumb of his other hand. "I know."

-NCIS-

Tony and Jeanne arrived back just in time to see Tim open his eyes and Jeanne suddenly found herself balancing two trays of drinks as Tony rushed in to see his teammate. Kort rescued her by taking one of the trays in his good hand and the two of them watched through the door as the team rallied around their injured member. She watched as a strange look passed over Kort's face briefly before a carefully developed blank expression replaced it.

Kort handed the drinks to a passing nurse before looking back at Jeanne. "Tell Gibbs to take care of him and... and he doesn't owe me anything."

"But..." She struggled to find the right words, but it was of no matter, she was talking to an empty hall. Looking back into the hospital room now filled with joy, she understood that they were both outsiders.

-NCIS-

Jenny spent the night at her desk. It wasn't until daybreak that she found her first clue in a standard post-raid report filed by ATF Agent Wright. Duplantis' estate had been raided the day before, resulting in the arrest of a foreign national and the death of Maximilian Duplantis. Suspicious, she used her agency clearance to check for admissions at Bethesda. No Timothy McGee was a patient at Bethesda, but two John Doe's had been admitted the day before. Next, Jenny used her access to the HR department which showed McGee's insurance ID was currently active at Bethesda. She closed out her computer and poured herself another drink before walking to the window to watch the sunrise. "So, Jethro, just how much do you know?" She was still staring out the window when her phone rang, informing her of the death of retired Special Agent William Decker.

-NCIS-

None of them were all that surprised when McGee asked to speak privately with both Jeanne and Kort. Jeanne was just getting ready to leave so Gibbs sent her in when he went upstairs to get Kort. The CIA agent was leaning against the window when Gibbs walked in the door. "Hey."

"Gibbs, what are you doing here?"

"You vanished." Gibbs watched him closely, there was an air of melancholy around the other man. "I'm not sure McGee remembers that you got out all right, he's worried."

"I'll drop by his room, remind him that I always land on my feet."

Gibbs held out his hand. "You did more than that, you kept him alive and you took care of him."

Kort accepted the handshake. "He's a good kid, you should be proud of the way he handled things. A little more confidence and he'll make a fine undercover operative. Tell DiNozzo to spend a little less time teasing and a little more time teaching and he'll be there before you know it." It wasn't said, but Gibbs knew Kort would be keeping an eye on McGee's future.

"You ever decide to become a little more respectable, we can always use a good man."

They both knew it would never happen, but Kort made a slight joke as he turned it down. "Sorry, but I don't think I can keep track of all your rules, Gibbs. Besides, I'd hate to interfere with DiNozzo's pursuit of the ladies."

A nurse with a medication tray arrived in the doorway and Gibbs turned to leave. "Just remember Tim's waiting for you."

-NCIS-

"Tim, Agent Gibbs said you wanted to see me." Jeanne leaned over the bed, watching as his eyes focused.

He blinked several times. "Sorry, can't seem to stay awake very long."

"That's to be expected, you've got a long recovery ahead of you. I should let you rest." She straightened up, but he caught her hand.

"No, wait. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of all this, you deserved better." He released her hand and reached for a folded paper on his bedside table.

"It's okay, I don't blame you for any of what happened to my family. I don't even blame Tony anymore." Her words seemed to relax him.

"Good, that's good. The CIA is going to seize most of your uncle's assets, just like they did your father's. I found this, I think they'd want you to have it." He handed her the page listing the accounts he'd set up for Duplantis.

Jeanne shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Your father hid money from everyone, from your uncle, from the CIA. I found it for Max. That's the account information. It's in an off-shore account waiting for you."

"Gun smuggling money? I can't..."

Tim struggled to raise up on one elbow. "I heard the nurses talking, you're going back to Africa, right?"

"Yes, but..."

"Do you want the CIA to use it to set up another arms dealer? The money's been dirty long enough, do something good with it. Set up clinics to help all those refugees, help all those people that suffered from the wars those weapons caused. Break the cycle, Jeanne. Your father was killed because he wanted out, so honor his last wish." Exhausted, he dropped back down onto the bed as she nodded.

"Are you going to get into trouble for this?"

"Covered my tracks, it's okay." His voice faded off before he could tell her that the only other copy of those numbers had been retrieved and burned for him by Dr. Mallard. Smiling now, Jeanne bent down and kissed the sleeping man's cheek.

"You are a good man, Timothy McGee, my uncle was right about that."

-NCIS-

The next time Tim woke up, his visitor was wearing a bathrobe instead of a bulletproof vest. On the other side of the glass, several members of the team stayed within view. Kort thought about teasing him about his guards, but he knew the young man was still confused at times and needed the visual reminder that his team was really still alive. Tim watched Tony make funny faces at him for a moment before fully turning his attention to Kort. "You okay?"

"Sure kid, takes more than a bullet to slow me down." Kort shifted uncomfortably as Tim studied him.

As the swelling went down and his memories became clearer, Tim could recall the tension between Kort and Director Shepard. "She didn't give you a choice, did she?"

Kort could have played dumb, but he'd come to respect the young man that had been in his care. "No, she didn't. I knew Gibbs would figure it out eventually, I just had to keep us from getting killed until then."

"You did a lot more than that. Thank you."

It didn't take long for McGee to drift off again and Kort watched him sleep. He'd worked solo for many years, but maybe he was ready for a partner once again.

-NCIS-

Gibbs quietly closed his phone, resisting the urge to throw it through the nearest window. Instead, he caught DiNozzo's attention and jerked his head, giving the age old signal to join him. He could see the reluctance on Tony's face as he left McGee's bedside. Once he'd joined Gibbs in the hallway, the two men walked down to the far waiting room.

Tony didn't know who the phone call was from, but it was obvious Gibbs was pretty worked up over it. He watched the older man pace for almost five minutes before he finally started speaking. "William Decker was found dead, they think it was a heart attack." Tony didn't recognize the name so he waited. Gibbs made another pass in front of the window before he continued. "He worked in Europe with my team, along with Jenny. She's decided to go to his funeral. You and Ziva have been ordered to go as her escorts."

"Her escorts? Guess there's not enough time to arrest her sorry ass before we leave, is there?"

Gibbs grasped Tony by the back of his neck, pulling him close enough that their foreheads were touching. "I don't want to send you, but we can't tip out hand; not when we have no real evidence to prove what she was really up to."

"I know, I know." Knowing didn't make it any easier to leave, to protect the woman who'd sent his Probie out to die for her personal vendetta.

"You and Ziva watch your backs and stay together no matter what. You don't do anything beyond what is required, you hear me? Don't trust her and keep as much distance as you can. Just take care of yourself and Ziva."

Tony considered throwing his badge at Shepard when he saw her, but he wouldn't undermine what McGee had gone through by walking away from his team. "You too, Boss. With me and Ziva on the other side of the country, that just leaves you to protect McGee. She might try to have him taken out to cover her tracks."

It was a valid concern and one Gibbs shared. "I know. Don't worry, I won't let him out of my sight. Just stay safe and come home. After that, somehow, we'll find a way to take her down. When you and Ziva get back from Los Angeles, we'll find a way to end this."

-NCIS-

Maria Corbin tipped the cab driver that had taken her to the airport. Max had always promised to take her to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone. It was as good of a place as any to start a new life. As she waited at the ticket counter, she read the telegram one more time.

_Maria,_

_It is being taken care of, my old friend._

_Svetlana_


End file.
